The yard was perfectly landscaped with shrubbery, desert plants, and a vase of the prettiest flowers she’d ever seen stood on the porch. The house was bigger than two of the community houses, and it was painted in warm browns unlike the standard white she was used to. Strange circular-shaped lights were mounted to the wall. Colorful curtains lined the windows. And the black slick vehicle that was parked in the driveway was one she’d seen before.
Before she could be mesmerized any longer, the truck pulled around to the back side of the home and parked next to a gray brick wall. The elders got out of the vehicle and she winced as the truck doors slammed. What were they going to do to her?
“Bring the girl,” Elder Aaron said as he sauntered toward the back of the home only a few feet away.
As Elder James reached for her, she pulled away, watching what Elder Aaron would do next. He walked down a small set of stairs, pushed on a spot in the wall and a square popped open, revealing a doorknob.
“Now, James. You are not afraid of a little girl, are you?”
Elder James grunted and extended his reach. He caught hold of her arm, and this time he was much rougher. She tried to pull away, but he gripped her shoulder and squeezed. A debilitating pain came over her as she cried out.
“Get out! Now!” Elder Aaron yelled.
Abigail could not move.
“James!”
Elder James hopped up into the back of the truck, picked her up, and jumped to the ground with her. All fought out, she closed her eyes as the man carried her roughly toward the back of the house. A click sounded, and she opened her eyes. With his foot, Elder James opened a tall, heavy door and deposited her roughly onto a dirt floor. Before she could move the door closed. Next, the clink of a lock.
Overwhelming darkness surrounded her. The only light was a stream that came from a small vent next to the door.
She jumped to her feet and ran to the vent. Stretching on her toes, she watched through the small grates. The truck zoomed off, kicking up dust in her bloody face. She backed away.
“Do not leave me here!” she cried out. “Someone, help!”
It was useless. No one would come and if someone did, likely it would be the High Prophet. She didn’t want to think of what that man would do if he opened the door. Likely it would not end favorably for her.
Why hadn’t they fleshed her out as they did to Rachel?
She is alive. Her father had said it, and Malachi had confirmed it.
They hadn’t meant for her to survive. But she had, and they wouldn’t make that same mistake again.
Chapter 22 ― Luna
“Luna, wait!” Jonathan yelled, but it was too late, Luna was out the door.
“Where is he?” she asked, staring at the spot she’d seen Naaman standing only seconds before.
“He must have left,” Jonathan called from behind. “Let’s go back in—”
But before he could finish, Naaman stepped out from behind a tree.
“What the—”
He walked into the street and spoke. “You both are in grave—”
A blue SUV squealed around the corner and plowed right into him. They had watched as the big man hit the bumper, flew across the hood, and landed on the street, bloody and unmoving.
“Oh, my—” Luna covered her mouth as she watched the man who had once saved her life, dead in the middle of the road.
“Luna?” a voice broke through, waking her from her nightmare. “Honey, are you okay?”
Luna opened her eyes. “Mom?” She looked around the room frantically.
“It’s me, honey. Are you okay?”
Luna shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“It wasn’t just a dream, was it?” she whispered. “He’s really gone.”
“Yes, honey. He’s really gone. I am so sorry.”
Luna closed her eyes again. Naaman had been killed. And thanks to her, the police had nothing more to go on other than a blue SUV that had come from out of nowhere. She had been so shocked that she hadn’t even tried to get the license plate number. She couldn’t blame Jonathan. He didn’t know how things worked in the English world.
Jonathan had not spoken of the scene they’d witnessed at all. Instead, he’d pretended everything was fine. He’d gone to Todd and Hannah’s house to sleep, got up the next morning, and went to work as if nothing ever happened. Luna, on the other hand, had thrown the covers over her head and cried herself back to sleep.
She glanced at the clock. “It’s four already?” she asked.
“Yes. Jonathan should be back soon. He can only stay a little bit before going back to Todd and Hannah’s” Her mother gave her a sad smile.
“I know. I guess I better get up, then.”
“Yes,” Linda agreed and patted her leg. “Oh, and you got a delivery while you were sleeping.”
“In the mail?” She rubbed at her eyes.
“No, a man brought it. Didn’t say his name but said it was imperative you get it.”
“Okay?”
What could possibly be delivered to her the day after she’d watched a man being run down in the street? As if that weren’t enough.
“I’ll be right down,” she said and headed into the bathroom to wash the sleep from her face.
Before she could make it though, Jonathan called from downstairs. “Hey, Luna. Check this out!”
Check this out? He’d been hanging around the English too long.
“Be down in a sec, bro,” she said, and he chuckled.
Wondering what he was so excited about, she skipped the face washing and headed down the stairs. Jonathan didn’t care. He’d seen her after not taking a shower for an entire week.
Jonathan met her on the staircase. In his hand was an envelope with a stack of cash inside.
“What in the world?” Her mouth dropped. “Did you get an advance?”
“A what? No, it is not mine.” He held it out to her as if it were a poisonous snake ready to strike.
“Well, whose is it then?” Backing up, she almost fell over the step behind her.
“It’s from that guy I told you about,” Linda said from behind. “That’s the envelope he left.” She pointed to the bulky enclosure in Jonathan’s hand.
Luna stared at her mother for a second. “Wait. Let me get this straight.” She walked the rest of the way down the stairs, into the living room, and sat on the couch. Jonathan and her mother followed. “So, a strange man you have never seen before, knocked on the door, handed you a stack of money and left?”
“I didn’t open the envelope, Luna. It’s addressed to you and Jonathan.”
Jonathan turned the envelope over to show the writing. “I saw my name on it and opened it.” He shrugged.
“How much is it? Is there anything else inside?”
Luna was awestruck at how her life could be going so strangely in just a matter of days.
“I do not know.” Jonathan pulled out the money, and a small slip of folded paper dropped to the floor.
They stared at it as if it might contain a curse.
Luna reached down and picked it up. She unfolded it and read the contents out loud. “5/15 PSP.”
“What do you think it means?” Jonathan asked.
“I have no idea. Maybe a date or something?” Luna answered. “PSP. What is that?”
“PSP? That is what everyone calls the market. Short for Phoenix Swap Park,” Jonathan said. “It’s where we go to sell goods.”
“You’ve been?”
“Well, yeah. I went for a while. Every boy gets assigned to go at some point. But after a short while, they decided they needed me in dyes so . . .”
“So, what?” Luna was getting impatient. What was he getting at?
“So, Malachi took my place.”
“Crazy Malachi? Jacob’s older brother?”
“Crazy Malachi? Where did you hear that?”
“That’s what Tabitha called him. She said he was mean, and whoever married him would be sorry.”<
br />
“Do you think Malachi is trying to get in touch with us?” Jonathan stared out the window. “But where would he get this kind of money? The Chosen do not handle money. Only the Elders ―”
“Now wait a minute, you two.” Linda stood. “This does not sound good. Things like this just don’t happen in real life.”
“But it did, Mom. You received the envelope yourself.”
Linda shook her head. “It’s too dangerous. First, the man who abducted you gets killed right outside our house, and now a wad of bills comes hand-delivered. I think we better call the police.”
Luna didn’t bother correcting her mother. She’d done it a thousand times, but nothing she said convinced her mother that Naaman had not kidnapped her. Of course, he did refuse to let her leave once she’d gotten there, but it had been Luna’s own fault. He’d warned her that if she came with him, she would have to stay, and she had been hard-headed.
“But, Mom—”
“You can absolutely not keep that money. It’s too dangerous. We better call Chief Collins right away.”
Not wanting to get the police involved, Luna tried to think of a way around it. “Maybe we should just keep it for now. What harm can it do to hold onto it for a while?”
“Luna.” Her mother glared at her. “I know you. You’re planning to do something crazy and if you go out there and get yourself hurt, I will never forgive you.” Her mother put her hand to Luna’s face, and her voice cracked. “I just got you back.”
“Okay, Mom. It’s okay. But please don’t involve the police.”
“Promise me, Luna.”
“Okay, Mom.” But Luna couldn’t look her mother in the eyes. She had every intention of being at the Phoenix Swap Park on the fifteenth of May.
Linda wasn’t swayed. “What is so important about meeting with this guy anyway?”
“He wouldn’t be trying to contact us unless something was wrong.” Luna didn’t dare tell her mother of the warning Naaman had given her just before his demise. Her mother would tie her to a chair before letting her leave the house if she knew.
“Just promise me you will be careful.” Her mother looked away. “You are an adult. There’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
Luna hugged her mother. “I will, Mom. It’s just the swap meet. We aren’t going to any place dangerous.” At least not yet.
AS LUNA LAY IN HER bed, staring at the ceiling, a familiar sound rang in her ears.
Ding.
She reached for her phone and smiled. “Do you miss me,” she whispered into the phone.
“Very much.”
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.
“Nope. You?”
“No. All I keep thinking about is Naaman lying dead in the street.”
“I know. Me too. That and the thousand dollars sitting in your kitchen drawer.”
“What do you think it means?” she asked.
“What?”
“Everything. Naaman getting run over, mysterious strangers leaving money at the door.”
“I don’t know. Is this how the English live?”
“Yeah, sure, Jonathan. People get run over every day right in front of my house.”
“Right before a mysterious stranger leaves money on your doorstep?”
“Right before.”
Johnathan laughed and Luna smiled. Even with everything going on, she felt safe with him. But she wasn’t safe. Not really. Something crazy was going on, and she couldn’t seem to put it all together. One thing she did know, though, was that all of it had something to do with them angering the High Prophet.
“What do you say we spend that money on a cheap car?” she asked.
“It’s not really ours, though, is it?”
“The man gave it to us. Both of our names are on the envelope.”
“What if it’s stolen?”
Luna giggled. “Yeah, right. Like someone is going to rob a bank, steal a thousand dollars, and then deliver it to two teenagers who broke out of the Crazy Camp.”
“Don’t call it that.”
She hadn’t realized her words had hurt him. She’d made comments many times about them, and he’d never once said anything about it. Why now?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“It’s just that, those are my people. Well, they were. Right or wrong, my family still lives there. And Naaman . . . he was my father.”
“I know. I’m sorry. That was inconsiderate of me. As much as I wanted to leave that place, I have to admit that Naaman did save my life.”
“What actually happened that day?” he asked.
She’d never spoken of that short period of her life. Not even to her mother. She wasn’t sure she was ready to now. “It was nothing.”
“Luna, my people, The Chosen, they don’t take people in. It’s just not done. My father saw something out there that made him . . .”
“I ran away from home. My mom and I had gotten into an argument, and I left.”
“Yeah?” he prompted.
“Well, I was sleeping in an alley, and a couple of men came up on me. They were going to . . .” Luna stopped, remembering that day.
“Have their way with you?”
“Yes.”
“And my father found you?”
“He ran those guys off and then gave me food. I hadn’t eaten in . . . a long time. If he hadn’t been there, I don’t know what they would have done to me.”
“He got into a lot of trouble for bringing you into our community.”
“I know.”
Luna didn’t want to talk about Naaman anymore. The truth was, while her time with The Chosen was anything but enjoyable, she’d learned not only that she’d been horribly selfish with her own mother, but that kindness came in all shapes and forms.
“I’m sorry I made fun of them, though. They’re a part of you and made you the cool guy I fell in love with.”
“Who me?”
“Of course, you, silly.” She smiled. “And I’m sorry about your father. Sometimes I forget that he . . .”
“He was a good father. And maybe an outsider would not understand it, but he loved us. He . . .” Jonathan took a deep breath.
“What will happen to the other wives? Esther and Josephine?”
“They will be taken care of,” he assured her. “The community will make sure of that.”
“Are you sad?”
“The Chosen do not mourn death. It is a rite of passage. Father is now in the Kingdom with my mother and Our Heavenly Father.”
“But are you sad?” It was a common emotion that The Chosen elected to ignore.
Jonathan stayed silent for a long moment. “You cannot change me, Luna. I am who I have been brought up to be. I will discuss it no more.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Luna whispered into the darkness. She’d always had a bad habit of opening her mouth unnecessarily.
Of course, he was sad. No one, not even The Chosen could suppress their emotions. They were humans, not Vulcans. But she’d been wrong to try and make him admit it. Everyone had their own way of dealing with pain. And his way was much better than her own.
Chapter 23 ― Daniel
As Daniel sat inside the wall, watching his father, he yawned. No one had been into the High Prophet’s office all day. His father had spent most of the day on the computer doing who knew what.
Yawning again, Daniel stood up to leave, but the sound of a faint, muffled cry stopped him in his tracks. He ducked back down and looked through the vent. His father was completely quiet. The television was turned off.
“Let me out!” The words were barely recognizable, but he’d heard them. It was a girl. But where was it coming from?
Daniel stood back up and walked toward the stairs. He’d not been back down there since the last time he snuck out. It was a creepy place, and all that money made him feel strange, dirty.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
Was his father evil?
; “Please!” the voice grew louder as Daniel got closer to the stairs.
He didn’t dare speak. His father would be sure to hear him if he did. Instead, he crept down the stairs slowly, listening for the sound again.
Silence engulfed him as he tiptoed around in his father’s money room. He waved his hand high in the air to find the switch. He found it easily and pulled on it.
The moment the light clicked on the voice spoke again. “Who’s there?”
Daniel glanced around. He saw no one.
“Who’s out there. Please. Just let me out.” The voice came again. “Please.”
Daniel crept toward the door that led to the dungeon room. He pulled on the handle, but the door did not budge.
“Who’s there? Who is it?” the voice came again.
“My name is Daniel,” he said calmly. “Why are you in there?”
“Daniel? You mean the son of the . . .” her voice fell silent.
“Why are you in there?”
No words.
“Hello? Are you there?”
Silence.
“Is your name Abigail?”
A gasp.
“I won’t hurt you, Abigail. I promise.”
“But you are the son of the High Prophet. If you tell him I spoke to you, he will—”
“I will not tell him. How long have you been down here?”
“I do not know.”
It couldn’t have been long. Daniel had been in the secret passage just the day before, and he’d not heard anyone crying out. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
He glanced around the room. There was no way to get food to her even if he could.
“Yes. And thirsty. I’m so thirsty.”
“No one has come to feed you?”
“No. They have left me here to die.”
“I will—” Daniel stopped as footsteps echoed from above. Someone was in the secret hallway. “Someone is coming. I must go. I shall return.”
The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2) Page 11