Yeah? And?
It’s not going to work. Finding these pieces and the system and putting it all together isn’t going to end anything. Warden is relentless. He will rebuild. It may take him a while but there will always be that possibility hanging over our heads.
But the system is everything.
No, Warden is too smart. He must have realized by now we’re going after the system. He just doesn’t know how. There’s no doubt he’s created a lesser version of it, one that will allow him to continue communication and planning in case of another shutdown.
Then, what’s the purpose of all of this?
He rubbed the scruff on his chin and leafed through the pages of the notebook.
If it were pointless, then my dad would not have created a way to destroy it. It’s something we have to do but not the one and only solution to the problem.
Then, what do we need to do?
I don’t know yet.
I sat there, doubting everything we had endured thus far. Leaning back in my seat, I tilted my head back and chuckled.
If someone had told me on that first day at the facility where I’d be today, I would never have believed them. Heck, I didn’t believe Margot when she first explained the concept of the Society to me.
Ben continued to search through the notebook for any clue his dad might have left behind. It was odd thinking back to my discovery of the Society. So much had happened since that day.
I remember questioning Margot about the entire premise of a secret society. Of course, she had an answer to every question I threw her way. She said, “In order for this Society to succeed, it must be free from any established governments.”
Suddenly, Ben looked up from the notebook and into my eyes. Although I had no idea what my recollection had triggered in him, I could see thousands of calculations happening in his mind. I smiled as his eyes became more confident and determined.
This was it. This was the breakthrough I had been waiting for, that Richard had predicted. Ben had figured it out. It felt like an eternity until he spoke the words I had been waiting for, the words we all needed.
I know what we need to do.
***
Ben took the rest of the time during our flight mapping out the plan in his father’s notebook. Before we knew it, the plane was making its final descent into Vietnam for our layover.
I had long given up on Ben divulging his plan yet and began taking rhythmic deep breaths for our landing. Shutting his notebook, he grabbed my hand and looked over at me.
After all this is over, I’m not flying for a long time.
It’s a deal.
After the overwhelming sound of the plane skidding across the runway quieted, Ben and I began to gather our things from around us. When we could move about the cabin, Ben grabbed our bags from overhead and led me through the gate and into the airport.
Crowds of people walked through the wide halls, finding their correct gates and standing in line for food.
Can we stop by the restroom before we find our gate? My bladder is about to burst.
Ben nodded as he guided me toward the bathrooms. He watched me enter the women’s bathroom before he joined the line for the men’s room.
The line for the ladies moved quickly, allowing me to finish before Ben. He was nowhere in sight when I returned to the busy hall. Suddenly, I noticed two security guards headed in my direction.
Before I could enter the bathroom again, one of the guards caught my arm and pulled me toward them.
Ma’am, if you’ll come with us.
May I ask why?
We’ve had a report of suspicious activity.
Suspicious activity? Like what?
Please come with us. Being uncooperative will only cause more trouble for you.
My eyes skimmed the crowd of men exiting the bathroom, failing to find Ben. Then, their grip was tighter. There was no doubt these men were not airport security, but I couldn’t make a scene in a crowded airport. And they knew that.
Just as they were pulling me away, I caught a glimpse of Ben’s face coming from the exit of the men’s restroom. When he caught sight of the guards, he began advancing toward me through the crowd.
Careful not to alert them of his presence, I shook my head softly for him not to follow. There was no doubt in my mind the sacrifice I was willing to make. Ben was the only one who could finish the plan and we both knew that. This was bigger than us.
He stopped in his tracks as I begged him silently to leave without me. His eyes were vulnerable and helpless as the distance increased between the two of us. With painful hesitation, Ben disappeared into the crowd of people as the guards continued to pull me away from him.
XVII.
INTERROGATION
The guards guided me through the crowd and down a hallway labeled, “Authorized Personnel Only.” Glancing at a clock on the wall, I realized Ben would be boarding the plane by this time.
I could feel the pulse on my biceps where the guards’ hands squeezed excessively tight. After passing countless faces and turning down multiple corridors, they guided me through a heavy metal door at the end of a long hallway. The room was small with a single table and chair in the center of the floor. Walls of white and floors of gray, the metal table and chairs added to the room’s ambience of bland misery.
Sit down.
A spasm shot up my back as the guards pushed me carelessly into the cold, hard chair. I looked between the two guards, both burly men with furrowed brows.
Are you going to explain to me why I’m here?
The men positioned themselves on both sides of the room, one blocking the exit and one close to me. Neither one seemed willing to answer my question, snarling down at me before ignoring me entirely. After a long silence, there was a knock at the door.
The guard closest to the door checked who was on the other side before allowing them to enter. A man, probably in his thirties and at least a foot smaller than his partners, entered the room arrogantly. He smirked as he walked directly to me, his leather jacket and jeans a stark contrast from his icy blue eyes.
Where is he?
His hands loudly struck the table in front of me. The unnatural color of his eyes was piercing as he scrutinized my face, searching for the answer I would never provide.
I smiled back at him, enjoying his anger. The more I delayed them, the farther away Ben traveled. As I bared my teeth in a satisfied smile, he seemed to become even more agitated.
Who?
Don’t waste my time with your little games. Where did he go?
He’s not here.
Yes, he is. An agent witnessed both of you exit your gate from South Sudan. You were waiting for him at the bathrooms but when we sent men in, he was no longer there.
I think I would remember that. Are you sure you saw the right person? It could have been another tall, dark, and devilishly handsome man exiting the same plane at the exact same time.
My stalling seemed to have reached his limit as a growl twisted his mouth. Suddenly, his arm stretched across the table in an abrupt slap to my cheek. My head turned to the side and my hair fell across my face.
Calmly, I pushed my hair aside and turned to meet his eye contact. Steadily, I leaned forward and stared firmly into his icy irises. And smiled.
There was a clock on the wall to my right, filling the room with its rhythmic ticking. Pointedly, I checked the time and then looked back at my interrogator.
He’s gone.
Well, that’s where you’re wrong. He didn’t get on his assigned flight.
Oops.
I struggled to hide my surprise at his announcement. Countless thoughts ran across my mind as I questioned Ben’s failure to board the plane. There had obviously been a sudden change in plans.
Yet, instead of another slap as I had expected, the man chuckled to himself and rubbed his hand over his mouth. When he looked back at me, there was something behind his eyes. More than an icy blue frigidity, but a plan. My insides chur
ned as the anticipation of his next words built.
You know, I underestimated you. You took that slap like a real champ.
I winced internally at the word, “champ,” the last person who called me that being Connor. In many ways, the arrogant man in front of me reminded me of him, threatening and unpredictable.
Well, that was a poor excuse for a slap.
Would you like me to try again?
It’s going to take a lot more than a slap to the face to get me to talk.
The smile that spread across his face ran chills down my back even as I sat firmly in my chair. He leaned in close and mumbled under his breath, the hot moisture bouncing off my face and sending my stomach into a fit of nausea.
Oh, we’re counting on that.
His fist came flying toward my temple and rendered me unconscious. At first, my vision was merely a black abyss but then I saw Ben’s face. His torn expression as I was pulled away by the guards through the crowd of people. His eyes were like shattered glass as he watched the distance between us grow.
And now, as the Society took me away, the distance grew more and more. With each passing second, my chest became emptier, my heart no longer there but miles away with Ben.
***
Rise and shine, Darcy. I have so much planned for us today.
The low timber of the taunting voice drew me out of my deep slumber. My eyes struggled to focus on my surroundings even as I continued to blink harder and harder.
Now, I did have them use a different knock-out drug on you because of the nausea you feel with the other. It might take a little longer to recover.
Fragments of my environment were beginning to take shape as my eyes cleared from their dizzying haze. Wooden beams on the ceiling, the faces of Ben and his parents. But why were they here? How?
My groggy mind took longer than necessary to realize what I saw were photographs. But the only place there were pictures of Ben and his parents was… the cabin. Panic sent my body into a quicker recovery, my vision clearing and my head regaining its balance.
I looked around the cabin that had become so familiar to me. The place Ben and I had called home for so many months. Then, I recognized the deep voice belonging to the man seated in front of me.
Attempting to jump to my feet, I found I had been bound to a wooden chair with rope. I did my best to wriggle free but only managed to entertain my audience. Finally, I sat in defeat and looked into the twinkling black eyes before me.
Warden.
What? No hello?
You can go to hell.
Now, now. That kind of talk won’t get you anywhere.
I glared over at him, his sweater and slacks an unusual change from the expensive suit he had adorned during our last encounter when he tried to brainwash Ben.
Images of that night ran through my head as I looked into his gleaming dark eyes. The pale faces of the board members, the blood dripping down their shoulders, and Warden’s malicious smile as he watched blood cover Noah and me.
Warden seemed to be thoroughly enjoying my hatred of him as he leaned back in his chair and studied his impeccably manicured nails.
This is a nice place Ben has here. Not really my taste but it’s… quaint.
Then, why are you here?
Darcy, I gave you more credit than that. There was no doubt in my mind you would know why I chose to bring you here.
The dark and manipulating depths of Warden’s mind was not something I cared to delve into, nevertheless I attempted to find his motive. He knew this place was sacred to Ben and could be trying to ruin it for him. Or he could be making a point to Ben that no place is hidden from his reach.
No. Warden wasn’t the type who merely went somewhere to prove a point. Every decision he made was an attempt to benefit himself. And he wanted Ben more than anything, needed him to keep the Society alive.
He knew out of all the places in the world, this was the one place Ben would always return. It was the one place he called home. The one place that made him feel connected to his parents and safe from the world, from the Society.
The sudden realization must have been written across my face as Warden leaned forward and sneered.
Yes. I can see it in your eyes. You have figured it out. My, my. Now I see why you and Ben get along so well. Such intelligent individuals. Perhaps I could use both of you after all.
I’d rather die.
Well, I cannot have you dying before Ben joins us, so we’ll have to find another way to make you cooperate.
He stood up from his chair and walked over to the kitchen counter where a black cloth bag sat on its surface. Returning to where I was seated in the middle of the living room, he emptied the contents onto the coffee table next to me.
Among the items scattered across the smooth wood were pliers, knives, matches, and rags. His hands grazed across the tools as a rumbling snicker escaped his lips. He clicked his tongue as he finally made his choice: the bag itself.
Looking through the windows of the cabin, Warden gestured for someone to enter through the back door. Of course, he had guards stationed outside. Without his men, he was only one person. He was weak and vulnerable, outmatched by any trained recruit.
Right on time, a burly guard walked through the door with a bucket of water in each hand.
Darcy, have you ever heard of waterboarding?
Not wanting to add to his sick entertainment, I merely glared back at him. As he walked toward me, he smiled and prepared the bag in his hands.
Well, now you will never forget it.
The image of his dark eyes burned into my mind as he threw the bag over my head and knocked my chair back onto the ground. The impact of the fall was enough to knock the wind out of my lungs. I laid tied to the chair with my legs dangling above me, helpless to Warden’s plans.
Before I could catch my breath from the fall, water began pouring in through the cloth. My lungs burned as I struggled to find oxygen. The water clung to the bag, making it feel as though I was drowning. I gasped for air, awaiting my inevitable death.
Suddenly, I was thrown forward and upright in the chair. My head drooped in the saturated bag as I coughed through the remaining water. Warden pulled the bag from my head and knelt down to my level, the light a shock to my pupils.
Now, that was just a taste of what will happen if you do not cooperate. If you tell me what I want to know, it won’t happen again. But if you continue to be a problem for me, then it will get so much worse.
My words were lost as I fought to catch my breath. Warden patiently waited for me to speak, studying my downturned face. Finally, my voice managed to squeak out one raspy word.
Never.
He seemed both disappointed and pleased by my remark, repositioning the dripping bag in his hand.
Have it your way.
The bag was thrown back over my head and the chair slammed onto the hardwood floor. Over and over again, Warden continued to bring me in and out of the bag. And every time, I refused to talk. His usual righteous demeanor was replaced by something much darker, something that had always been hidden behind those black eyes of his.
With both buckets empty and my lungs burning from lack of oxygen, Warden lifted me from the floor once again.
I am going to ask you again. Where is Ben?
Here’s what I don’t understand. You’ve known where we’ve been this entire time: London, South Sudan, Vietnam. Why do you need me to tell you where he is now?
Warden straightened his posture as he waved the drenched bag in his hand, the water hitting me as he spoke.
You see, it took much longer to track you to this location in Idaho. Since you operated off the grid, we could only use the location of the executive tunnel exit, the abandoned car Ben left behind, and your few trips to the store to find you.
The enthusiasm in his voice grew as the pride he took in their tracking became evident.
But New York was a piece of cake. The surveillance cameras recorded which vehicle you drove, leadi
ng to us find the identifications you used to rent the car. From there, you were stupid enough to use the same IDs for the rest of your trips.
But Ben figured that out in Vietnam and failed to get on the flight you had already tracked. And now he is operating under a new alias. Which means he’s a ghost with an unknown destination.
I wouldn’t say unknown. We will certainly find him, but it will take much less time if you just tell us his plan.
Warden’s dark eyes studied me as he waited for my answer and all the while, I was clueless to Ben’s newly established plan. Yet, instead of fear, I felt comfort. Not only in Ben’s ability and intelligence but also in the fact that I had nothing to share with Warden.
I turned my face upward and smiled at Warden, knowing without a doubt that if he broke me, I had nothing to give him, nothing that could hurt Ben. The confusion on his face quickly turned to anger. His patience was growing thin as he growled and kicked one of the buckets toward the back door.
His dark eyes glared down at my slumped figure in the chair, refusing to break eye contact even as he viciously spit the next command at his guard.
Fill the buckets again.
XVIII.
MIND GAMES
There was a sudden jar to my chair that woke me from my sleep. From dreams of drowning in dark waters and green eyes. My hands remained tied behind my back with the same coarse rope wrapped around my feet.
A moan escaped my lips as I pulled my head up from its drooping position, my neck screaming in pain. My swollen eyes immediately found Warden standing over me. They stung from the light, tears forming and making it nearly impossible to make out his expression at first.
His arrogant sneer disappeared behind his coffee cup as he stood examining me from head to toe. Since the night before, he had changed into dark jeans and a fitted button-up shirt. Much to my annoyance, he seemed well-rested. Undoubtedly, he had made himself at home in our bedroom. The room Ben and I had shared. It seemed so long ago.
Did you sleep well?
Apparently, my glare answered his question as he chuckled and sat opposite of me in the other chair. His dark eyes were piercing as he met eye contact with me across the small expanse between our chairs.
The Legacy: The Influencers Book 2 (The Society) Page 12