Rachel nodded. “I understand.”
“Good... That’s good. That, is fucking, good.”
Morgan walked away, heading into the kitchen. “Either of you hungry? That was one hell of a drive!”
Rachel looked down at Billie and nodded. “Yeah a little bit.”
Billie looked back at Rachel and whispered. “We’re so dead!”
Morgan walked in with a jug of water and a plate of turkey legs. “Not yet you’re not!” He laughed.
Billie shook her head. “I didn’t mean anything,” she said, looking at Rachel.
“It’s fine,” he said, putting the jug on the floor. “You’re Billie. The scaredy pants, the one who I literally watched shit herself at the sight of me- or that’s what I’m going with anyway,” he said with a laugh. “Here, kid. Eat.” He held the plate to her.
“I’m alright, thank you.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I would kill you- but right now, while you’re in my home, when I offer you food. Take it.”
Billie lifted her shivering hand. “You’re right, sorry. Thank you,” she said, swiping a turkey leg from the plate.
“But you, Rachel,” he said with a smile as he handed her the plate. “Protégé. I want you to prove to me you deserve that! This shit does not come easy. If you were just any schmuck downstairs, you’d have to work your ass off for something this god damn delicious. Don’t fuck around.” Morgan took a leg off the plate and walked to the door. “I have some things I need to take care of. I’m sending Davey and Gordon up here while I’m away, but don’t worry about Gord- Davey'll keep him straight.”
Rachel nodded and kept her eyes locked on Morgan as he stepped out. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet! Because if you don’t deserve that, if you don’t show me that I was right about you, I will rip you open and take it back. Don’t make me look stupid- Earn that god damn turkey.”
Chapter 23:
Bonding over Blood
Sleeping on a small stained mattress in the corner of the room, Rachel woke up to a light kick in the butt.
Morgan stood over her, dressed in his leather jacket and wearing a wide smile on his freshly shaved face. “Let’s go, little Williams.”
Rachel rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What?”
“I said, let’s get the fuck moving!” Morgan grabbed Rachel by the arms and pulled her up to her feet. “Let’s go.”
“How’d you know my name?” she yawned.
Morgan cocked his head and stared at her for a moment. “Williams?”
“Yeah,” she said, pulling her denim jacket out of her bag by the mattress.
“Well fuck me,” Morgan laughed.
“What?”
“You a Miller or a Williams?”
“Williams,” she said, sliding her jacket on.
“So is John your step-daddy?”
“No. Sort of adopted I guess.”
Morgan opened the door for Rachel. “So who’s your dad?” he asked as they headed out.
“Why do you wanna know?”
“Was it the fag?” He chuckled. “It was, wasn’t it?”
Rachel shook her head and blinked, trying to fully wake up. “Huh?”
“Oh, no offence. Being gay’s cool, but was it the gay guy?”
She looked up at him and raised a brow. “I don’t know, what was his name?”
He shook his head and let out a laugh. “No. If you don’t know, neither do I.”
“You don’t talk about the past,” she yawned.
“Right on! See, you’re catchin’ on faster than John did by a fucking lifetime!”
Leaving the base, Morgan and Rachel walked into the parking lot area where the vehicles and horses were.
Morgan licked his teeth and spit. “Tubby on the pole look familiar?” he asked, pointing at the man chained to the basketball net.
Rachel nodded. “The guy you said I’d get to know.”
A slow grin came to Morgan’s face. “God damn, look at you, listening and shit! If only John was half as cooperative as you!”
“So what are we doing?”
“I’m happy you ask!”
Reaching down, Morgan slid a led pipe up off the cold paved ground. “Hester the Molester!” He smiled and licked his bottom lip. “Jesus Christ this is gonna be fun.” Morgan glanced back at Rachel. “Fuck yes it will.”
Hester started to cry. “Boss, please! I don’t deserve this!”
Morgan walked up to Hester and swung the pipe up into his jaw, popping it out of place. “What did you do again, Hest? I forget!”
His jaw dangled. His tongue hung out and flopped as he screamed.
“Sorry, buddy. I can’t understand you with that unsightly jaw situation you got goin’ on!”
Hester stared at Morgan, crying as the blood flowed from his mouth, oozing between his broken teeth.
“Rachel, I don’t know if I heard him right- but I think he said he raped and killed a five-year-old? One of my women’s kids? Was that it, Hester?”
At least you have your reasons, she thought as Morgan stood over Hester and laughed.
Morgan grabbed one of Hester’s ears and ripped it off his head. “YOU RAPED AND KILLED ONE OF MY WOMEN’S FUCKING KIDS!”
Morgan looked back at Rachel, he was shaking as he tightened his grip on the pipe. “You know what Hester says, Rachel? He comes to me and he fucking says he thought he was thirteen! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR RAPE, AND NO EXCUSE FOR MURDER! THE KID WAS FIVE FUCKING YEARS OLD!”
Rachel stared at Morgan as he gritted his teeth.
He tossed the pipe to her and gripped Hester’s jaw. “YOU ARE SO FUCKING FUCKED!” Putting his boot on Hester’s chest, Morgan ripped the man’s jaw from his face and threw it across the yard, atop the hay bales.
Instinctively, Rachel reached behind her back for her revolver.
He looked back at her. Hester’s screams filled the yard and blood dripped from Morgan’s gloved fingers. “Now comes the easiest thing you’re ever gonna do for me. The easiest of your tests... Kill him.”
“Kill him how?”
Morgan threw his arms up. “Oh, I don’t know! He’s a kid fucker and murderer! How the fuck do you think I want him fucking killed!”
“Slow?”
Morgan nodded. “And Bingo was his name-o!”
I don’t even know this guy- but he does deserve it- I think... If this is true. Fuck. Rachel reached down and took the heavy led pipe. “Alright.”
Morgan watched Rachel walk over to Hester. “Bronze is killing him, silver for making me smile, gold for making me laugh- and a fucking diamond medal if you’re able to get me hard!”
Hester’s eyes sparkled from the tears. Blood spilled from his destroyed mouth and his screams pierced Rachel’s ears.
Guilty or not, you're already pretty fucked. Rachel swung the pipe down, caving the top of Hester’s skull and popping his left eye out.
Morgan smiled. “Make it a god damn gold,” he laughed. “Jesus fuck, that looks gross as shit!”
Thrusting the pipe forward, Rachel drove it into Hester’s mouth, shattering his front teeth.
She swung the pipe down, bursting it into skull.
Morgan laughed. “Oh my god, I think I’m in love!” he joked, putting his hands over his heart as he kept eye contact with Hester.
“Rachel, you did a fan-fucking-tastic job! But let me finish it up. Step aside.”
Rachel backed up and dropped the pipe, watching as Morgan grinned and pulled a large knife from his belt.
Five minutes later, Rachel and Morgan laid on the ground, covered in blood and catching their breath.
“God damn my dick’s hard!”
“I guess I got a diamond medal.”
Morgan laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“It was easy...” She turned her head to look at him. “If what you said was true, then he deserved it.”
“Rachel, he deserved that death, just as much as you deserved that turkey! Fuck- maybe ton
ight you’ll have some steak, some ribs maybe... Fuck- I can only imagine what you’d do to prove yourself for that fucking shit!
“But do know, it only gets harder from here. Just wait until you have to kill people you shouldn’t have to... That’s when shit gets hard."
Rachel sighed as Morgan got up. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Morgan reached down and helped her up. “Come on, time to clean up. Let’s go.”
“The body?” she asked, looking back at Hester’s corpse with intestines wrapped around its neck.
“Our own, yeah. Not that shit! What do you think the workers are for? You make ‘em work!”
Walking Rachel in, Morgan pointed down the hall to a dark room with grey floor tiles. They could hear the pitter patter of water raining on the floor and the sounds of men talking.
“In there, make it quick.”
Rachel looked at the dark doorway and back at Morgan. “Seriously?”
“Rape’s against the rules. Yeah I’m serious. Now you’ll wanna be careful, the boys haven’t seen a wet pussy in god knows when, so I’m sure they’d love to slide one in by mistake, but-”
“Where do you or your women shower?”
“We do that shit upstairs- why, you wanna share?” he asked sarcastically. “Don’t tell me this little badass is scared!”
“I’m not, but I’d trust you before any random guy here. You have your women, you’ve already seen me naked, I know how you feel about rape. I just think it’d be safer.”
Morgan smirked. “I kicked you square in the pussy as hard as I possibly fucking could, and when I chopped your daddy’s arm off, you hopped right back up on your feet to help him... Of course you’re not scared... Alright.”
Rachel nodded. “Cool,” she said as a scream came from the showers.
Morgan took off his jacket and passed it to her. “Hold that, I’ll be right back,” he said, grabbing a fire axe off the wall and walking into the showers.
Rachel listened as things quickly quieted down. “Morgan?” she asked as a man let out a louder scream, followed by a thud.
“Fuck!” Morgan yelled, walking out from the showers. “My boys love to fight!” His white shirt was soaked in water and blood, and he had a sick smile on his face as he hung the bloody axe back on the wall. “I’m not getting into it with you- but the guy I axed had his warnings. He’s just lucky he didn’t end up like Hest.”
Going back to Morgan’s living quarters, Rachel opened the door to see Billie shaking and sitting in front of the door. “What the hell happened to you?” she asked, staring at the dried blood on Rachel’s face.
Morgan grinned. “Bill, you remember that big guy you saw on your way in? Well Rachel and I just blew his fucking mind!” He laughed, took off his shirt, and threw it on the floor.
Billie wheeled to Rachel as she headed in. “What happened?”
“A job. We killed a guy,” she said, hanging Morgan’s jacket up. “But he deserved it.”
“What did he do?”
“He raped and killed one of Morgan’s kids I think?” she said, hanging her jacket up and sliding her top off. “It was Morgan’s woman’s kid anyway- something, I don’t know. Like it might not be his.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m gonna clean up, I’m not a big fan of wearing other people’s blood.”
“Clean up where? With Morgan?”
“Would you rather I did it downstairs surrounded by all his crazies?”
Billie silently shook her head.
“Yeah, neither did I.”
Morgan looked back as Rachel joined him at the other end of the room where his private showers were. “Alright, get in,” he said, dropping his boxers. “We don’t waste water. Hurry up- faster we’re out, the better.”
Rachel stripped and got in. “We didn’t have to worry about water in Argentina.”
Morgan raised his brows. “Never?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, it just always flowed.”
Morgan nodded, staring at the wall as he scrubbed the blood off his face. “Good to know.”
As the two cleaned up, Morgan dropped his soap. Reaching down to pick it up, he noticed the scars, decorating Rachel’s legs. “The fuck happened there?” he asked, turning back around. “I don’t remember doing that shit.”
“Huh?”
“Your legs, they’re fucked.”
“Oh- they’re... Stuff I did.”
Morgan shook his head. “I would’ve thought now days people would’ve stopped trying to hurt themselves. Shit, if you wanna die all you gotta do is step out your front door. You’re gambling every second of every day that you’re not dead.”
“I don't do that stuff anymore.”
“I’ve dealt with this stuff a lot back before all this. It-”
“Did you?” she asked, looking back at Morgan for scars.
“I didn’t. My patients-” He stopped talking and stared up at the ceiling. “Enough talking. Let’s hurry this shit up.”
“Were you a doctor?”
“Rachel-”
“A therapist?”
“You're making the same mistake your dad made- the past is in the past, and unless you wanna wind up with mommy and daddy, you might wanna zip your fuckin’ lips.”
Rachel nodded. “Alright, sure.”
“Make yourself useful and get my back.”
Shortly after the two finished cleaning, they sat in the kitchen having something to eat.
“Fuck, it’s only seven?” Morgan asked, staring at the microwave. “Seriously?”
“Only seven,” Rachel said, sinking her teeth into the peanut butter sandwich Morgan made her.
“Damn, it felt like we were outside for hours.”
“Yeah, right?”
Billie rolled into the kitchen and stared at Morgan as he chewed his sandwich and held a can of beer.
“I didn’t forget about you, Legl- Bill.” Morgan took a plate off the counter and walked it over to her. “It might be poisoned- I forget which one I fucked with.”
Billie turned pale as Morgan sat the plate on her lap.
“God damn I love you!” He laughed. “You feel so much fear for me and I fucking eat that shit right up! I’m not kidding, kid, your constant fear is fucking awesome. I didn’t poison your food. Eat up.”
Morgan tossed his sandwich on the table and sat his can down. “Fuck,” he said, walking behind Billie and massaging her shoulders. “Rachel, I’m thinkin’ we go to Cascadia, it’s been a while since I was there and I’d like to get Crimson out while you’re with me- I know you said you’ve got your own problems with them,” he said, sliding his hands around Billie’s throat. “Fuck,” he yelled, laying his head on Billie’s. “If I could bottle your fear and drink that shit, I’d drink it straight and that’s all I’d fucking drink!” He patted Billie on the back and picked up his can.
“Rachel, are you a killer?”
“If I have to be.”
“Are you a good person?”
“I try to be.”
“Who are you Acquainted with?”
“...You.”
Morgan grinned and took a drink. “Fuck yes you are! That’s what I wanna hear! Now, you good with a gun?”
“I can kill but I’m not the greatest.”
“Well lucky you,” he said with a grin. Walking to the door, he picked up his black baseball bat full of nails. The same weapon he killed Tom with. “Because you don’t have to be!”
• • •
The next day, Cascadia.
He was dressed in black jeans and a white tank top. His long black hair was tied in a bun and his beard short and trimmed. He smiled as he held out a cup of coffee. “Morning, Glory.”
Crimson turned around to see Lanceous. “Good morning,” she said, taking the cup. “So you were at the Divine the other day?”
He nodded and smiled. “Last time I checked that’s what I said.”
&
nbsp; “How is everyone?”
“They still don’t want to make much contact with the outside. They’re thankful for you saving their scouts but they asked us to stay away to avoid attracting unwanted attention.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is, they need people like us.”
“Hey, forget about it,” he said, putting his arm around her and rubbing her belly. “How are we doing this morning?”
Crimson laughed and shook her head. “You wanna know why I’m stressed?” she asked pointing at a large white box truck coming up the road. “Morgan, he radioed us last night and said he was on his way for his things.”
“So I’ll finally get to meet this Morgan Williams that everybody talks about,” he said with a laugh. “And for the record, the Divine doesn’t need Cascadia, these people aren’t fighters. They need you.”
Pulling up to the wall, Morgan got out.
“Good morning, Crimsy,” Morgan said as his men began pouring out of the back of the truck.
“Morgan,” Crimson said as she watched them approach the wall. “What do you want this time?"
“Maybe a bite to eat, a nice bath, and a good book, maybe,” he said with a laugh. “Davey, bring out John’s kid!” Morgan looked back as Davey ran to the end of the truck. “Boy are you gonna love this.”
Grabbing Rachel out of the back, he walked her over to Morgan. Her hands were tied and she had a gag in her mouth. “Here you go, Boss.”
“Pretty girl, isn’t she, Crimsy? This girl here,” he said, lifting his chin. “Slit my god damn throat!”
“Why do I care?”
Lanceous stepped in front of Crimson. “What do you want for her?”
“Look at you, a little one-armed superman!” Morgan smiled. “She doesn't give a fuck. So why do you?”
“You have no problems with me,” he said, putting his hand over his heart. “You’re Morgan Williams? Correct? My name’s Lanceous, I used to be friends with her father.”
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 20