Do you feel like talking today?
I pursed my lips as my eyes burned holes into his own. He seemed amused as I glared in refusal. He sat his cup down on the floor beside him and leaned forward in his seat.
I suggest you talk, Darcy. Yesterday’s waterboarding is nothing compared to what I have planned for you.
Never.
Yes, so you say.
Warden retrieved his coffee from the floor and stood from his chair. Suddenly, he thrust the contents of the cup onto my torso, the scalding liquid burning as it splashed up on my neck and down my stomach.
The pain was audible as I gasped in shock at the boiling contents of his cup now stinging the front of my body. No longer did exhaustion cloud my vision and thoughts. No, in its place was visceral pain and an intense awareness of my surroundings.
Warden sat the cup down on the coffee table and began rolling up his sleeves. A shadow passed across the window outside and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. However, when I glanced over at the figure, I discovered it was merely one of Warden’s guards.
Although I knew Ben had not forgotten about me, I feared the amount of time it might take him to accomplish everything he had planned. Deep down, what I feared more was that he would come for me, disregarding the plan altogether.
That was exactly what Warden wanted. My attention turned back to him as he stood looking at several implements on the coffee table next to his now empty cup.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the shining silver of several knives and pliers. Among the daggers lay matches, lighters, cigarettes, and a wooden bat.
Warden grabbed the pack of cigarettes and a lighter, placing one in his mouth and taking a long draw. He walked over to where I sat, blowing the smoke out of his mouth and into my face.
When I first saw you in New York, I wondered why Ben would like a girl like you. While Ben has extraordinary abilities and a bright future, you were just an orphan off the street. Why would someone like you catch his eye?
As he stood next to my chair, he waved the cigarette in his hand as he spoke. Suddenly, he smashed its burning end onto my arm, twisting it deeper and deeper into my skin.
But now, I’m starting to see exactly what he saw. You are stubborn. A challenge, nevertheless. Brilliant men like us need a challenge to keep us on our toes. And when we have won, we throw you to the side. That’s exactly what Ben will do to you when he grows tired of babysitting.
He bent down to my level, his hot breath moist on the side of my face.
But I will break you first.
The cigarette fell to the floor and was smashed under his foot, a fresh one in his hand being lit.
I can’t help but think that if Margot had been in her right mind, none of this would have happened.
At the sound of Margot’s name, I turned and looked at Warden who was taking yet another pull from a newly lit cigarette as he stared out the window at the surrounding woods.
You see, the Board and I advised her to kill you long before the shutdown. But she wouldn’t listen. So, she sent you on a mission against our wishes, undoubtedly fueling the fire of rebellion. Her focus was solely on separating you from Ben. Her priorities were personal, making the decisions she made for the Society detrimental to its success.
Another cigarette butt burned against my arm, this time on my bicep right under the sleeve of my t-shirt. I was unable to stop myself from wincing as the burn cut through my skin. His expression was stoic, unflinchingly resolved.
Fortunately, Connor took care of her before we were forced to dirty our own hands. Her position was attempting to be filled whenever the shutdown occurred. Though it was a great loss for the Influencers, the destruction of the facility was actually a blessing.
Blinking through the pain and the burning along my arm, I glanced at him in shock. Destroying an entire facility, their headquarters, was a gift?
He chuckled at my astonishment of his statement, another cigarette being placed on the opposite arm.
You see, Ben was a suitable soldier for successfully training new recruits. Knowing who his parents were, the Board and I thought it best to keep him in the facility. In the dark, unaware of our actions.
Another burn, pain coursing through my veins and up my neck.
But then, seeing him kill Connor… oh, what a gift that was! As I watched him murder for the first time, the exhilaration was nearly too much for me. All along, we had been hiding him away. But why? He clearly has potential for much more!
Warden sat down in the chair across from me, leaning forward in excitement. His dark eyes shined as he studied my face.
Can you imagine it, Darcy? The evil, cold-bloodedness of his aunt, the intelligence of his father, and the charisma of his mother? He would be unstoppable! A worthy partner for my reign.
He sat back in the chair, his hand on his chin and eyes on the ceiling as he dramatically envisioned the possibility. His arms waved as he painted the picture for me.
Can’t you just see it? Ben and I at the top of the Influencers. I have the experience and knowledge needed to be a leader and he has the mind to improve it. To make it better than his goody-goody father ever could have. I am talking full-blown plagues, nuclear warfare, maybe even a third world war!
Why?
His eyes darkened as he leaned forward, refusing to break eye contact with me.
The world deserves to burn. And those successful in surviving it deserve to live under my rule. A new earth without the overabundance of stupidity and weakness. A new race of stronger, smarter soldiers.
All at once, I could see it in his eyes. The world burning and only him and Ben remaining, a wicked grin across his face with Ben standing expressionless behind him.
Ben will never join you.
Warden stood up and bent in front of me, the smell of coffee still on his breath as he spoke too close for comfort. The look in his eyes was both intense and insane.
I would not be so sure of that. In New York, I saw doubt on his face when I labeled him a murderer. Deep inside, he is a killer. He has darkness in his soul and soon he will be unable to fight it. And when that time comes, I will watch as he kills you with his bare hands.
My hatred for him had peaked as he continued to paint the dark portrait of Ben. He was wrong. There was no darkness in Ben, only light, only Charles and Olivia, my sweet Ben. I was certain of that.
He smiled as his hand reached up to brush my cheek. In a sudden surge of anger, I spit in his face and glared intensely. Jumping back, he wiped the saliva from his face and chuckled.
Must have hit a sensitive topic. Good. Then, I’m getting somewhere.
Turning on the heel of his foot, Warden bent over the coffee table and chose another tool. This time, he chose an eight-inch dagger that reflected the sunlight coming through the cabin’s windows.
I’ll let you live if you just tell me where he is.
Why should I?
The blade of the dagger ran along my forearm, leaving a line of blood behind it. I gasped as blood rolled down my arm, onto the chair, and splattered on the wooden floor beneath me.
I’m not going to hurt Ben. He needs to hear what I have to say before he does anything that can’t be undone. I know he will understand once I tell him everything.
No.
Warden ran the end of the blade along the top of my knee, cutting directly through the denim and into my skin. I could feel the warmth of my blood as it dripped down my leg and into my shoe.
You only have to tell me where he is and this will be over. Then, you can take a shower, eat some food, sleep comfortably.
He stood watching my blood drip down the blade of his knife as if fascinated by it. Much to my own surprise, I began laughing uncontrollably.
Maybe he had broken me. Taken away any fear of pain, any anxiety of my dark fate. He looked down at me and waited for an explanation, slightly shocked by my outburst.
You won’t kill me.
Why are you so sure?
Witho
ut me, you have no leverage on Ben.
Is that what you really think?
No, I don’t think so. I know. He’s smarter, younger, faster, and more trained. Without me, he’s a ghost. And without me, he’ll never surface. You can’t find him.
I wouldn’t be so arrogantly incorrect.
Then, why is he not here?
He stood with his bluff called, Ben’s absence being undeniable evidence for his failure. Finally, he returned to his usual threats.
Oh, I’m sure you will tell me soon. You are weak. And I will break you.
I don’t have to outlast you. I just need to stall you long enough.
Warden’s eyes darkened with fear as I grinned at him. In a moment of weakness, I saw into his mind: panic, doubt, worry. In one swift movement, he struck me on the side of the face and retreated from where I sat in the middle of the living room.
Before I succumbed to my pain and utter exhaustion, I heard Warden shout for an update on Ben’s whereabouts from his guards. The overwhelming pain along my body began to numb as my vision darkened. Even as I sat covered in my own blood restrained by my enemy, my heart was full of hope. Hope that my sacrifice would be enough.
XIX.
CALLING
Mommy, was Daddy a murderer?
My mom’s soft brown eyes looked at me from across the room. In front of her was a basket of towels, a stack of them already folded beside her. She seemed somewhat caught off guard as she studied the books in front of me on the dining table.
I thought you were doing your math homework. Where did that come from?
They were talking about how stealing was bad in class today and someone asked if murder was bad. Mrs. Phillips said it was very bad.
Your father was not a murderer.
But didn’t Daddy kill people?
She stood folding a washcloth in her hand, searching for the words to tell her young child trying to grasp the vast topic of morality.
Well, you see, your daddy helped catch bad men who hurt other people. He didn’t always kill the bad men. Sometimes he would put them in jail so they couldn’t hurt anyone.
My wide eyes still searched for the answer of whether my father was a murderer. She seemed to realize this and pursed her lips. After hunting for words which her curious young daughter would understand, she put down the towel in her hand and crossed the room to where I sat with my books. She bent down to my eye level, looking gently into my waiting eyes.
Your daddy wasn’t a murderer. He was a hero. He sacrificed himself to save so many lives. The bad men would have killed so many more people if your daddy didn’t stop them.
What was once a darkness over the memory of my father and his chosen career became a bright shining light. My dad was a hero. He didn’t kill people, he saved them.
I remember smiling as I finished my math homework, already planning on telling my friends at school about my dad, the hero.
***
What do you mean, you lost him? He was at the facility you are in charge of, David! Yeah, I understand that he’s well-trained but that’s no excuse. Find him!
My eyes opened to the vision of my lap as my head drooped down from sleep. The slit in my jeans was covered in dark, dry blood.
Warden had since given up on the intense torture from the day before, occasionally directing his attention to me from the constant phone calls. Guards had been in and out with updates and mumbled conversations.
But still no Ben. They couldn’t find him. After years of knowing exactly how the Society operated and how they kept track of their recruits, he made himself a ghost.
From the small pieces of conversations I could hear and Warden’s increasing desperation, it seemed Ben had eventually continued to Australia and broken into their facility. Whatever his new plan was, he had proceeded to our original destination, extracted the piece, and disappeared again.
Warden seemed to notice I was awake and looked over from the kitchen counter at where I sat in the living room. He had a notebook in front of him which he had been studying. Picking it up, he crossed the room and slowly approached me.
As he came closer, I saw familiar pages of the notebook, the brown leather binding. My stomach dropped as I realized it was Ben’s. He held it up in front of me and dropped it on my lap.
What does all this mean?
I glanced down at the pages, the same scribbled notes I had poured over with Ben jumping off the pages.
How did you find this?
Ben left it behind two days ago when he broke into our facility in Australia. Open and on the desk of David Masters, the head of the facility.
What page was it open to?
Warden stooped down and flipped to a page with a bookmark sticking out from the top of the binding. In the middle of the page was the same phrase which had led us to the four facilities in search of the missing pieces. But it had been circled in black marker.
“As the towering clock strikes, I will search for you: the apple of my eye, the charity of my soul. To the end of the earth, I will search for you.”
Ben was coming for me. He had sent a message to tell me he would search for me. That he had not forgotten.
Yet, there was another phrase on the opposite page that was circled in the same exaggerated manner: a small notation I had not noticed until today.
“When evil prevails, we fight for love and piece, for a new start and shelter hidden from the darkness.”
Immediately, I noticed the purposeful misspelling of peace as it hinted toward the pieces for which Ben and I had been searching. Rereading the phrase, it hit me all at once: the new start symbolized the destruction of the system and the hidden shelter was the cabin.
The system was here, and Ben knew it. The two circled phrases suddenly clicked. He had not only found the mother system, he knew I was at the cabin and he was coming.
Warden studied me as I read the pages, waiting for me to voice my knowledge.
So? Why did he open it to these pages? And why did he circle those specific phrases?
I have no idea.
A growl escaped his throat as he tore the notebook from my lap and flung it across the room. He bent down quickly and shook me by my shoulders.
I know that you know. You understand what he’s trying to say. Tell me!
How would a useless “slut” know what he meant? Surely your brilliant mind has already figured it out.
I smiled at his belligerent expression, knowing he was the weak one. He was no match for Ben, and he knew it.
Warden struck me against my temple and screamed in my face, repeating the same words as he continued to strike me.
Where is he?!?
The constant assault was unexpected as he continued to beat me while I sat strapped to the chair. He had lost control and I feared there was no stopping him from killing me. Ben would not realize I was dead until he found me here. Then, it would be too late.
Suddenly, one of the guards came rushing through the door and called for Warden. Immediately, he stopped and backed away from the chair. My head dropped, blood dripping from my lips and my temples throbbing.
Through the ringing in my ears, I heard the guard tell Warden he had a phone call. Then, there was the sound of the door shutting behind the guard as he exited the cabin.
Hello? Yes, hello, Benjamin. I’ve been looking for you.
As I heard him address Ben, I pulled my aching head up to search for Warden. What was Ben doing? Why would he call and not come?
Desperately, I searched for a reason why Ben would call. He risked giving away his location with the tracking capabilities of the Society. Warden continued taking turns listening and talking with Ben on the phone.
We need to talk, Ben. Yes, of course, she’s alive. You can only speak to her if you agree to meet with me.
Warden growled as he looked over at me, eyeing me with a frustrated and disgusted expression.
Fine.
He pulled the phone away from his ear and stepped toward me. Press
ing the phone forcefully against my ear, I managed to calm my voice.
Ben?
Darcy! Are you alright? What has he done to you?
I’m okay, Ben.
I know you’re lying. Baby, I’m so sorry for all of this. I’ll explain everything later. I love you, Darcy.
Ben, don’t-
Then, Warden took the phone from my ear and placed it back on his own.
I will not wait much longer until I kill her, Benjamin. Her body can only take so much.
His expression changed from shocked to furious as he shut the phone and turned his attention back to me.
Well, I didn’t particularly enjoy the last thing he told me I could do but he did agree to meet with me once he gets back in the country.
Warden called his guards and demanded they track the call from Ben and find his current location immediately. The men exited the cabin on their phones, undoubtedly calling their headquarters’ IT department. I had no doubt every phone was bugged, much like the one I was given for my deployment to Chicago.
Warden retrieved Ben’s notebook from across the room and began searching through it once again while he waited for results of the tracking. I used the moment of silence to desperately search for answers.
There was no doubt Ben needed to come back to the cabin, but why send a message through his dad’s notebook and then call? He knew he would be tracked so he must have wanted them to track him. But why?
Only around ten minutes had passed before the guards reentered the cabin with Ben’s location.
He’s in Tokyo.
Tokyo? Why in the world was he in Tokyo? None of the Society’s facilities were located there. Warden seemed to assess the situation before commanding the guards to send men from the closest facility to search for him.
My heart was still beating hard against my chest from hearing Ben’s voice on the other end of the phone. It seemed like an eternity since I had seen him last.
With Warden preoccupied, my mind wandered to Ben and the time we had spent together in Cornwall. Those calm, beautiful days before the fire in South Sudan, our separation in the airport, and the horrendous time I had spent with Warden.
The Legacy: The Influencers Book 2 (The Society) Page 13