by Meg Ripley
“Not at all, my good friend.” Ben released his sore hand to pat Jack on the shoulder. “I knew you’d recognize what I’m doing here. You’re a smart man with a good head. I need more men like you.” He patted Jack again before moving off down the hallway.
The other women had picked up the injured one and were escorting her down the hall. Jack could overhear them shaming her as they went.
“Really, Mary. You knew better than that.”
“It doesn’t matter that you want to leave. You committed yourself to a life here, and you can’t go back on your promises.”
“I know. I deserved it. I was wrong.” The now weeping woman clutched her cheek as the others guided her off to one of the rooms, presumably to get cleaned up.
Erica hung back just long enough to turn to Jack. “Her mother is sick,” she whispered. “She wanted to leave to go see her, but Ben told her no. She tried to argue with him, and it escalated quickly.”
“That’s not right, Erica. I thought it was you. I thought…” And the very thought of it made him sick to his stomach. Something horrible could’ve happened to her, and all for the sake of the mission. Jack wasn’t sure it was worth it.
She gave him a smile. “I think your mouth stops working when you get too caught up in things. Be careful with that, Jack. It could get us both in trouble.”
“I know.” He glanced at the women again, liking this situation less and less. At least knowing Erica was all right had calmed him down somewhat. “That could’ve been you, Erica. Maybe we should pull out. We haven’t even been here for a full day yet. Ben might let us leave.”
The glare she gave him was a serious one. “We’ve already been through too much to leave now. I’ll be fine. And I know not to get into an argument with Ben.” She patted his arm and turned to follow the others.
Jack headed back toward the common area, lacking any other direction. Never before had he been eager to abort a mission. He was always concerned for the safety of those involved, but he was a trained and hardened man who understood that sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Everything was different now. It would be a good kind of different if he was any regular guy, but he wasn’t. And Erica definitely wasn’t just a regular woman.
8
Jack just happened to be waiting for Erica outside her door when she went out for breakfast the next morning. He made it look casual enough, walking past at a leisurely pace, but she knew he’d been out there for at least the past five minutes. She’d sensed him.
Erica knew she had a lot to figure out once this mission was over. Jack affected her in a way no one else did, and staying away from him the previous day had been difficult. When he was too far away for her to pick up his signature, she fought herself on going to track him down. He’d been too much to handle at first, but now that she’d let him inside, she didn’t know how to exist without him. It was troubling, in a way, because she knew eventually she’d have to go back to D.C. and return to a normal life, whatever that was.
“How did the rest of the day go yesterday?” he asked as she fell into step beside him. “I hardly saw you at all. I thought about coming to your room last night, but someone was up and roaming the halls.”
“Not just someone,” Erica replied with a shiver. “I think it was that mechanic. I don’t like the feeling I get from him, Jack. I locked my door, but it’s not a very secure one. I’m sure Ben and whomever else he fully trusts have keys anyway.” Her back twinged as she remembered that horrifically negative energy that emanated from the man.
“Do you get that feeling from anyone else?” Jack asked.
She stopped and looked at him. “You know, no one has ever asked me that before. I’ve always had to lie and make some other sort of conjecture about why a person might be on our side or working for the enemy. It’s kind of nice.”
He frowned a little. “I have to admit, it’s still something I’m getting used to.”
“But you believe me? Or more to the point, you trust my feelings about these things?” She held her breath as she waited for the answer. There was no doubt that she had some sort of special bond with Jack. He might be able to explain it away as simply being fated to be together. It was a nice idea, but Erica wondered if true happiness might require more than that.
“I do. Which is why I’d really like to know if you get that feeling from anyone else,” he reminded her.
Erica shook her head. She’d exhausted herself monitoring the mental waves from the others in the compound. “Not at all. They’re the same on the outside as they are on the inside, just pleasant and happy.”
“Any news on the woman Ben hit yesterday?” he whispered.
“No. They gave her a cold compress, and she spent the rest of the day in her room. I tried to broach the subject to the other women, but the changed the conversation quickly. I think they were worried for her, but they were more concerned about what might happen to them if they were caught talking about it. That was the only hint of negativity I got from anyone, just a bit of fear.”
“Getting slapped around sounds to me like more of a reason to leave than to stay,” Jack pointed out.
Erica pressed her lips together. She’d pondered this all the previous day as she’d worried about that poor woman and what she might be going through mentally. “It’s not as simple as that. It’s easy for us to think there’s no reason for anyone to stay here. We’ve been trained, and we’ve got strong connections with the outside world. But Jenny, the girl he hit? She doesn’t have anyone. Her pack is all the way down in Mississippi, and it sounded as though she doesn’t have the best relationship with them or her sick mother. I asked Jenny if there were others that could be with her mom, and she just shook her head and fell silent. People get isolated in some form or fashion, and they end up in places like this.”
“Or in other abusive relationships,” Jack agreed. “You’re right; I’ve seen it before. It’s easy to pick out who the victims are and why they won’t leave.”
“In this situation, I’d say they’re driven by money and loneliness more than anything. No one here has to worry about shelter, a steady paycheck, or buying groceries. They don’t even have to worry about health insurance. One of the ladies told me there’s an onsite shifter doctor. It’s quite the promise of an easy lifestyle.”
“I just have to wonder what sort of price they’re actually paying for it,” Jack murmured. They were nearing the common room now, where the line already trailed out the door. “A guy I was talking to yesterday sold everything he owned and gave all the money to Ben in exchange for this stress-free lifestyle.”
Erica snorted, thinking about Jenny and how much stress the woman was still enduring. She had to wonder if the men were treated the same way, but they hadn’t been there long enough to find out. “Anything else noteworthy on your end?”
He shook his head. “Everything is about as normal and boring as it gets. I explored as much as I dared. I didn’t see any evidence of hidden rooms or a shed where someone is building a bomb or anything suspicious at all. It looks like there’s a strong perimeter fence that’s probably electrified, but that could just as much be to keep people out as in. I don’t get it, and I don’t like it.”
“Either it’s a very good coverup or we’re wasting our time,” Erica agreed.
Jack’s hand was wrapped around her elbow then, pulling her slightly back from the end of the breakfast line and holding her close. “I want to do things differently today.”
Her body reacted as she looked up at him and saw the urgency in his eyes. Instantly, her skin recalled the way it felt to be pressed up against him. Her heart thundered in anticipation, even though he touched her with only his fingers. She’d missed him as she’d spent the night alone. Jack had an uncanny knack for making all the danger that surrounded them melt into the background. “Yes?” she choked out.
“Let’s stay together today. We should be a team.”
The words were simple, yet they said so much. Erica wanted nothing
more than to agree with him, but she knew it wasn’t practical. “It won’t work. We’re supposed to learn our duties today. Ben will be suspicious if we suddenly change our minds.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone will notice. Look.”
The common room seemed to be bustling with even more energy than usual. Clumps of people stood close together, chattering excitedly and gesturing with their hands. Erica sensed something big in the atmosphere, something that was about to happen, but she couldn’t tell what it was. “I think we’re about to get a little insight into our mission,” she whispered.
Retrieving their meals, a man with a brilliant smile and slicked back hair waved them over to his table. “Jack, there you are! I was looking all over for you yesterday after you ran off.”
“I’m sorry about that. I got a little caught up in other things. Ted, this is my friend Erica. Erica, meet Ted.”
The shifter extended his hand to shake hers. Erica picked up waves of confidence, maybe a little ignorance, but nothing sinister. “It’s nice to meet you. Tell me, is there something going on today?” She gestured with her head at the anxious crowd.
“Oh, yeah! Ben’s going to talk to us!” Ted looked as if he were ready to clap his hands like a little girl on her way to get an ice cream cone.
“I thought he talked to us every day. I mean, he did yesterday.” She knew she must’ve missed something when she was watching the mechanic.
“Sure, but this is different. Didn’t you hear him yesterday? He said we were going to get our final missions very soon. I thought it might be another week or so, but rumor has it today is the day!” Ted’s teeth flashed white as his smile broadened.
“Excuse me? Our final missions? What does that mean?” Jack asked. Erica could tell he was trying to keep the concern out of his voice, but some of it was leaking through. Not that she could blame him.
“Oh, I forgot what it’s like to be so new here. We all have our normal chores and duties, but Ben has promised us that we’ll be assigned a final mission that will help perpetuate our way of life here in more ways than we can imagine. It’s some big project he’s been working on, and almost no one knows the details. The one thing we do know is that it’ll change our lives permanently.”
Erica didn’t like the sound of that, and she exchanged a worried look with Jack. For the moment, all they could do was wait.
Apparently, Ted wasn’t the only one who’d heard those rumors, because Ben’s arrival that morning was met with thunderous applause. It didn’t cease even when he waved his hands humbly through the air, and Erica could feel the tension building in the room.
Finally, all was silent. Ben pressed his hands together in front of his chest and bowed his head so that his lips touched his fingertips. He closed his eyes thoughtfully and held the pose as he began speaking. “My friends, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you. As I said yesterday, this place would be nothing without you.”
Again, there was more clapping and cheering.
Ben opened his eyes, matching his gaze with his followers’ as he looked around the room. “I have heard so many of your stories. I have heard from those of you who have left abusive relationships and needed a new clan. I have heard from those of you who were so desperate to find a different way of life that you turned to drugs and crime before you came here. Broke, broken, addicted, or just fed up, there are so many reasons that you have sought me out. Once again, I must say, for this I am grateful.”
Erica looked to the doorway, expecting to see the man in the greasy coveralls again, but he wasn’t there. She wished she knew how to interpret that.
“Some of you already know my story, but today, I’d like to make sure I share it with everyone. You see, when I was a little boy, I lived in the mountains near the Persian Gulf. You might wonder why anyone would try to live there for so long when it has so little to offer. But I say to you, how is that any different than the wastelands you’ve been living in? Country or city, hot or cold climate, we are all seeking a shelter that will keep us safe from the world.”
His followers nodded and smiled, encouraging him.
“It was the same way for me and my family, and it had been that way for generations. Our little settlement was the only place we’d ever known, and we thought we were happy. Or at least happy enough. We worked hard to put food on the table and clothes on our backs, but that hard work meant we always slept well at night. Everything changed when the American government came sweeping in. I was only a little boy when they invaded our country and my hometown. I was just an innocent child when they came and took my father away from me. I can still see him turning to me as they dragged him out the door, telling me to take care of myself. It is still so vivid of a picture, and I’ve kept it with me all this time.
“That single day changed my life and the lives of everyone else in my family completely. I knew I had to do something to fix it, but as I said, I was just a little boy. I grew into a man, and still, I didn’t quite know what I should do. But I came here with the assistance of some other family members who’d already left to seek a better life. Everything is better in America. Or at least that’s what everyone believes.
“In my time here, I’ve learned that it wasn’t quite true. Yes, there’s more food. There’s more freedom, or at least perceived freedom. But it’s not as perfect as they would have you believe. I want you to think carefully, my friends, about my experience as a child. The American government came into my country and took my father away. They accused him of horrible crimes, and I nor anyone else ever saw him again.”
The audience was shaking their heads and exchanging sad looks, but they were captivated. No one dared question Ben on exactly why his father was taken or what he might’ve done. This was all about sympathy for Ben at the moment. Erica knew he would soon turn the story around and make it about them. He would unite them with a common enemy, and it wouldn’t be difficult to do since they already respected him so much. These people were beholden to him for their current lifestyle, and their choice would be to go along with whatever he said or face the harshness of reality once again.
“What I see here in America is that even its own citizens are falling victim to the same thing. Homes are being invaded; guns are being taken. Police are shooting innocent citizens simply because they can. Peaceful protests are shut down with violence and force. And it all makes sense, doesn’t it?” Ben asked. “If they would invade a country on the other side of the world in an effort to control it, then why wouldn’t they do the same thing right here on their very own soil? They do, my friends. They can, and they do. Every day. It’s only a matter of time before we’re next.”
This caused a ripple of fear through the crowd. It was chokingly thick, and Erica fought to breathe through it. She felt Jack’s hand on her thigh under the table, a comforting presence, but even he couldn’t make this go away.
“All of you,” Ben continued, “every single one of you, are different. We don’t talk about it much here, because we shouldn’t have to, but you are not the same as other people. You possess powers the rest of the country—and even the rest of the world—wouldn’t understand. What makes you think the government would leave us alone to live in peace? What makes you think for one second that we would be allowed to have our own community?
“They know. They know that we are not like them. They know that we have animals inside us, animals with teeth and claws and fighting instincts, animals who don’t hesitate to lash out when they’re being wronged. And believe me, they’re ready to do something about it. The American government strives to eliminate any threat or even potential threat. Anything that might take money from their pockets or control from their fists is absolutely a menace, and that menace is us, my friends. They’ve made us their enemy.
“The threat is already upon us. I wish I didn’t have to tell you about it, but just as I expect you to be honest with me, I will be honest with you. There are already government officials keeping a
n eye on our peaceful village. They’re jealous of the food we grow without interference from pesticides. They’re determined to wipe out our happy lives free of taxes and fees. They want to have their hands in everyone’s way of life, and that includes ours.
“Please,” he said, holding his hands out in an effort to calm the restlessness of the gathering. “Please understand that I’ve known this day would come for a long time, and so I’ve been preparing for it. Who better than us to fulfill this mission? We have the skills to fight if we need to. We have the ability to become something other than the enemy they’re looking for when it’s time to get away. A man may attack the governor, but they won’t see a wolf trotting off through the woods. We are a small group, too small to even be considered a village, but we will make a statement the United States government will never forget! They will think twice before crashing down on us!”
The room erupted in applause once again. This wasn’t good. Whatever Ben had prepared, he had all his followers on board for it. They were U.S. citizens. They didn’t have to agree with every single thing their government did, but they should be trusting it more than they did some charismatic stranger. Ben had won them over, though. He had them wrapped around his finger.
“For two years, I’ve been selling used cars. Each one of these vehicles has been outfitted with a special circuitry board, one that will make that statement for us. These vehicles are already parked at homes and businesses, and they will do the job they’ve been set to do. But I have many more vehicles, ones that I ask you all to take out into the world. Tomorrow is my father’s birthday, and when you reach the destinations I assign for you, the world will know that we mean business!”