After The Turn: Redemption

by Daniels, Melvin

  A figure ran through the bushes towards the other side of the copse. Omar sprang to his feet, as if the big man had just turned a switch in his head. After either answers or revenge. He got his legs pumping and ran around to cut the unknown assailant off, Drew followed behind. Busting a gut to keep up. The figure was already out the other side, when they managed to get round, but still in touching distance.

  “Stop asshole!” Roared Omar, powering on.

  Drew was getting left behind as the Omar kept chase. Connor had given chase also and had overtaken Drew, who was now left bent over, hands on his knees panting and wheezing, feeling a stitch in his side. He could only watch on as the unknown figure was pulling away from Omar and Connor. Suddenly there was a bang.

  Marcus stood behind the scope of his rifle, as the figure fell to the floor, the bullet had torn through his left knee, leaving him a crumpled on the floor, still he tried to crawl away.

  Drew had got going again but Omar was already on the guy on the floor, battering him with punches, Drew could hear the impact of Omar’s fists on the guys face. Connor was trying to pull him off, but Omar was much more powerful than him he was able to shrug him off without hardly noticing. Focused on destroying this person, for taking his son away from him.

  “Omar, wait” Drew panted as he approached. “We need to question him”

  “Sod that Drew” He replied “You think he asked my boy any questions? This guy deserves to die”

  “I don’t disagree with you there at all, but there may be more of them”

  Omar kept going Connor had given up trying to stop him.

  The guy on the floor was laughing, with every punch he took, the louder he got. His nose was crushed, his jaw was damaged, his eyes and face swollen, but he laughed on. As if he was having the best day of his life, as if he was at a comedy club watching stand up. Omar was punching harder and harder. He was laughing louder and louder. This was hurting Omar more. Drew was still trying to reason with Omar, but it was falling on deaf ears. There was a crowd forming behind them, edging closer, to get a look at what was happening. Gasping with fear and concern. The guy sat up, appearing to get a view at his audience. Chuckling at them, heckling them. Omar caught him in the right temple. His head snapped back to the floor, and finally he was silent.

  Through the tears Omar stopped for the first time, he looked what he had done, had he killed him? He didn’t know. But he did know that he did not feel any better for it.

  Drew checked the guys pulse. He was alive. Just about. Omar stood up and took a step back. The crowd moving in to console him.

  “What do we do now?” Drew asked “There could be others”

  He patted the unconscious man down and rummaged through his pockets and found a notebook. He didn’t look at it instead handed it Seamus who had joined the crowd.

  Seamus flicked through the pages. He found a list of their names, under the title PREY. He looked up with a look of pure fear.

  “We take him to Sam”

  15

  Chloe was escorted down to the cells where Aiden was being held. She had spent the last few nights alone in a room above the jail. She was being treated very well given the circumstances. She had been taken away from her quarters either for her own safety or so they could keep an eye on her. It was not clearly explained. She had been given hot meals three times a day and access to a bathroom with a hot shower. It was like she was being rewarded. Maybe she was? They were pleased that she had shown concern for Aubree.

  Chloe was worried about Aubree. She was still in with McCormack and although Becky was allegedly checking in on her, she feared that he was abusing her one way or another.

  The concrete steps led down to a cellar, which once was a storeroom for the social club that it had been used as previously. She was permitted to see Aiden for the first time since the incident. The guard who escorted her handed her a torch so she could see through the gloom. Then he turned and left.

  She shuffled her way through the cellar, careful not to trip over any boxes, crates or other junk that was spewed out on to the floor. She tried to breathe through her mouth to avoid taking in the grotesque smell of both damp and stale. Although it was not as bad as what Aubree’s senses were subject to back in McCormack’s room.

  She found Aiden locked up in a makeshift cell made from timber, it looked as if it was an abandoned project by the previous occupants of the building, as if they had started to put up stud walling to build a new room in the cellar.

  “I’m sorry, I messed up” Aiden spoke, sounding like a broken man, “I should have had you out of here by now, that should be the reason I’m in here”

  “Don’t be silly” Chloe said as she sat down on the floor by the cell.

  She put the torch down between them, he came closer Chloe could see in the light that he had received a beating, his left eye was almost swollen completely shut. She put her arm between the beams, reaching out to him, stroking his arm. He broke into tears.

  She knew he did not want this way of life, for him or for her, but he was still thinking of her first, after what they had done to him it was astounding. They sat in silence. Their faces illuminated only by the lantern. Chloe’s thoughts turned to wondering if she was being selfish, bearing in mind if she did get out, she had no idea of where she would go or what she would do, she knew he would suffer either way.

  She took a deep breath, looked up, Aiden was sat with his head in his hands, completely beleaguered. She said his name softly and waited for him to lift his head up to meet her eyes. Fighting the pain that he was feeling.

  “I’ll stay” She began reluctantly “I can’t put you through any more of this, it will only get worse for you”

  He opened his mouth, started a reply, wiping his eyes.

  “Stop, you don’t need to say anything” She cut him off “You have been great to me, there are a lot of other women here who have it worse, why should I complain, I’m safe here, you keep me safe”

  Aiden shook his head, holding her hand in both of his.

  “No” he spoke bluntly “What they do is wrong, the whole system. Your better than that. What do you think will happen when they find I haven’t got you pregnant?”

  Chloe did not answer

  “They, will take you away, transfer you to someone else. Someone like McCormack. Someone who will treat you the way they tell us to”

  Chloe pulled her hand away out of the cell and stood up. She started pacing back and forth. He was right, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  “Well” She started “I’ll get pregnant then. It’s the only answer”

  “You don’t want that” Aiden replied “Not with me”

  “I’d rather it with you than someone like McCormack” She spat back

  “It?” Aiden said disgustedly “Were talking about a baby here”

  “You know what I meant” she huffed “We have a baby in return we are safe here for a lifetime”

  “It won’t work like that” he argued back “And this is a baby, a new life. A part of nature so beautiful, that it should be made from love not for a transaction made from fear, a child is something to be proud of, to nurture to make a future for. For them to live on and be our legacy. We are not doing this, not this way”

  “What other way is there Aiden?” Chloe turned her back to him “And love? Where the hell is the love in this world anymore?”

  “Well, I know I sure as hell love you” Aiden said

  She turned back to face him.

  “I’m sorry Aiden” she walked towards him “I care about you, that’s why I don’t want you to go through this anymore, but the picture your painting it is just a fantasy. A baby is a necessity”

  Aiden stepped away from the bars.

  “I can’t believe how much you sound like them right now” he said spitting on the floor. “I’m getting you out, because that’s what you want, and you deserve that”

  The silence returned, Chloe’s head spinning again, why
didn’t she just say that she loves him too? Even though it was not true, it would have saved his life. She could have pretended. couldn’t she? She kept trying to say something to him, but she did not know how or what to say. He just put himself out there and she shot him down.

  The door to the cellar opened, the light from outside bleeding down the staircase and into the room, the same guard came in, probably come to tell Chloe her time was up. but with him was someone else, the clunking of heels on the concrete steps, told her that it was a woman. She dismissed the guard, who returned up the steps and back out of the room.

  Suddenly the lights came on, blinding both Chloe and Aiden who had been sat in the dark room, it must be midday now. As they turn the generators on at twelve for two hours, and again in the evening. If they have enough fuel in storage that is.

  The woman approached them swiftly, the journey over to the cell infinitely easier to dodge the obstacles than the one Chloe made beforehand.

  Chloe stood up as Becky came into view. Her usual self-assured aura of the only free woman in the community replaced with a woman driven through self-determination, for one reason or another.

  “Your room has been searched top to bottom, its standard procedure, to make sure you weren’t colluding in anything” Becky addressed them both

  Chloe and Aiden shot a worried look at each other.

  “Don’t worry, they didn’t find anything”

  They both let out a sigh of relief

  “But I did” Becky pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. “I also have to be present at these searches, standard procedure, to make sure your space is respected, or nothing is planted. Or if any of the perverted bastards we have work here don’t go through your clothes and sniff your underwear or something” she said in disgust looking at Chloe. “It’s happened before, like I said they are sick people, the way we run things breeds this behavior, they have no boundaries”

  “What did you find?” Aiden asked

  Becky handed the paper over to Chloe, she unfolded it to see her escape plan all drawn out and how much progress had been made. Chloe brought her face up from the paper and brought her attention back to Becky. They had been caught out.

  “I checked the tunnel out too” said Becky “And Healey, I’m sorry” Aiden was confused,

  “I let Lara go, and I blamed you, I figured you were just another asshole like most of the men here. I didn’t realize you were assisting Chloe with escaping”

  Chloe was also confused, why would she have let Lara go?

  “How did you let her go?” Chloe asked puzzled

  “After Healey unchained you, Lara was alone on the stall, I cut her free with some cutters” Becky explained “I keep some in my bag just encase, I might be able to do what I did, to do some good”

  “How did she get out of the village?” Chloe asked

  “The trader took her, you know the one who was at your stall, the weird guy with the sheep skull?” Chloe nodded “He took her and released her”

  Chloe was trying to process the information. She still was not sure on where Becky stands with anything, were they in more trouble?

  “Why are you telling us this?” Chloe asked

  Becky puffed out her chest and began

  “To do some good” she said again “I can make sure the tunnel gets finished”

  They were both bewildered. “How?” Aiden said eventually

  “I have my ways” Becky answered vaguely

  “I think your full of shit” Chloe said bitterly

  “I’m genuine trust me”

  “How can you do any of this?” Chloe asked

  “Like I said, the men here are perverted and sick, I have millions of ways of distracting them”

  “Why would you do this for me?” Chloe continued the back and forth

  “Because everything here is wrong, the whole thing, the pyramid system, the men rule over the women, and Jared is viewed as a king”

  “You sit pretty here though you have an easy ride, no one owns you. You get your freedom” Aiden joined in the conversation

  Becky chuckled to herself.

  “That’s what you think? Ha” she laughed “No, I get to walk freely because Jared has no other choice. His boss says so”

  “What do you mean?” Chloe questioned

  “You are about to find out”

  The doors slammed open, heavy footsteps clumped down the stairs, the metallic handrail ringing as someone was banging something against it as they made their presence known.

  A man short in height but you could feel his stature, his spectre of menace and of provocation the cloud of threat around him doubled up with his henchman flanking him, silently and obediently, the pantomime villain had just taken centre stage. A deep gruff voice spoke loudly as he set his eyes on the three of them.

  “Good afternoon, people, my people” Jared boomed “What a fine day it has already been, very productive may I add” He strutted towards them his entourage in tow “My friend Healy, man I’m disappointed in you, abandoning your post?” he turned his head to Chloe and back at Aiden “But to be fair, I can see why. Hot damn man, I’d sneak off to bang the shit out of her too, oh yeah I would” Jared put his hand on Chloe’s cheek caressing her staring into her eyes “And she would love it too”

  He stepped back breathed in dramatically,

  “But, rules are rules and no matter how much your woman is gagging for you to do her” he stopped and got into Aiden’s face “YOU DO NOT LEAVE YOUR POST” his saliva spraying all over Aiden, Aiden wiped it off of his face “DO NOT WIPE IT AWAY, YOU DISRESPECTFUL ASSHOLE” Jared spat at him striking him between the eyes.

  “Anyway, I’m a good guy really” he spoke to the room to no one in general, clearly enjoying hearing himself talk. “Becky here has convinced me that the best way forward would be a public disciplinary, which I agree would get the message across to everyone else, if you don’t do your job you will pay for it. But like I said I’m a good guy you will be free to return to your duties after your punishment has been served just to show the rest that I’m not stupid enough to realise people make mistakes”

  Becky tried to speak, but Jared was not ready to let anyone else take his stage.

  “You get out of here” he said to her “NOW”

  Becky looked at Chloe and raised her eyebrows before saying.

  “Yes brother”

  “You don’t get to call me that you ain’t no sister of mine you ILLEGITMENT BITCH!” his voice echoing in the cellar.

  Becky hurried out the room, looking back to Chloe, she now knew why she wanted to help her.

  “Where were we?” Jared asked rhetorically “Oh yeah, punishment” He stood next to Chloe staring in at Aiden “Let’s get you out and ready for your lashings”

  “Lashings?” Chloe spun her head round on a swivel towards Jared.

  “Yes lashings” he said again “One hundred of them”

  he slapped his hand hard against Chloe’s backside.

  “And you’re the one giving them too him”

  16

  The bounce from the suspension nearly made Drew jump out of his seat, they were hurtling along and at great speed in the stolen silver Ford Tourneo, hitting all the bumps in the road along the way. Unsure if they were being taken in the correct direction. Paul was trying to give instructions to Dieter as to which way to go, Drew felt that Dieter must have obtained his license from the driving test at Legoland or that the exams in South Africa were not extensive because Drew had not suffered from travel sickness since he was a child, and he had never been this nauseas before in a car.

  “Drive like you stole it won’t you?” Marcus yelled sarcastically “Remember we got a hostage here”

  Marcus had the Kimber to the skull of the man that had killed William back at the camp, they had bound his legs and hands together, and covered his face with a black hood to stop him seeing where they were going. Marcus had him pressed against the window, Connor was kneeling on the cha
ir in front, with the Glock that they had taken the same day as the van. It was a scene reminiscent of an Al Pacino movie.

  The man was again laughing at every jolt, even after a club from the hilt of the Kimber to shut him up, he kept on laughing louder and louder. Drew couldn’t believe what they had resorted too, he kept himself to himself leaving Marcus to it, he felt that Marcus was slipping away, to a dark sinister place, a path that the voice in his own head was trying to persuade him down too. He did not want to be judging people on good an evil, but he was torn. Right in the back of the van, he could see the very spectrum of it. Of good and evil. Connor was growing more and more confident every day, he was becoming Marcus’s shadow, learning from him. It was as if it was the same relationship that Connor may once have had with the Knights when he was a squire only a little while ago. And although Marcus had always had a stroke of ruthlessness in him, he had been able to show restraint, but now he did not have to do so anymore, he could easily become like the very man they had held hostage. A complete lunatic, a psychopath. Drew did not want him to go that way, to lose his sense of right and wrong. Part of Drew thought that if Marcus had his way, this person would have had a bullet to the head before they even left the camp. It got him thinking of the man that tried to steal their pickup back at the fuel station, and what was of him now. Marcus had taken that a little too far, did he take it further after he was left alone with him?

  They flew over a humped bridge on a narrow one-track road that went over a river. The river was signposted the river Test, which Drew thought was quite poignant of the testing times that they were living through.

  Dieter slammed on the brakes. Connor fell back into the seat behind him, Drew stood up and peered through the windscreen,

  “Why are we stopping?” Marcus yelled from the back of the vehicle.

  Drew could see why they were stopping, there was a roadblock. A tractor was taking up the entire of the narrow road.

  “That isn’t there by accident” said Drew.

  He pointed at a steep hill, on one side and a thick hedge the other side the tractor had been parked deliberately at an angle so that a vehicle could not pass.