“He said that out of the kindness of his heart he was going to let Steve ‘have a turn at the trough,’ as he put it. They sent a man into the other room, and told him if they heard scuffling and shouting, to shoot both of the children. Then he unlocked Steve and they stood back and ordered him to fulfill his husbandly duties. They had been raping me for three straight hours, and then they said it was Steve’s turn.
“I think they just wanted to ridicule Steve and make fun of him, to break him even more than they had already.
“And they were overjoyed when they saw that Steve couldn’t perform. Even when they threatened to beat me if he didn’t, he still… well, he just couldn’t. Then they seemed to take great delight. They said it was a good thing they were there to do his job for him, because he obviously wasn’t man enough to please me. No man at all, they called him.
“But they didn’t see him up close, like I did. They didn’t see the look on his face, the look in his eyes, like I did. They thought they just broke him down. But I know the truth.
“I saw the disgust in Steve’s eyes. He didn’t have trouble performing because he was stressed. He couldn’t perform because he considered me a filthy piece of garbage, just like the rest of them did.”
Glenna started to cry.
“It’s funny. For so long I couldn’t cry. The tears simply wouldn’t come. Now days, that’s all I do. I guess in a way, they broke me too.”
Hannah held her close.
“I’m no psychologist, Glenna. But I suspect you lost your tears because you went into a place where you refused yourself the privilege of showing emotion. It may have been your way of not allowing those animals to see they were getting to you. Or maybe it was a survival technique.
“But I think your tears are back because you’re finally coming out of that cold dark place. You’re letting yourself be human again. You’re slowly becoming the woman you used to be, before they damaged you.
“As for the look in Steve’s eyes… I obviously never met him, and cannot speak to what he felt. But I doubt if he was disgusted with you. I think it’s more likely he was worried about what might happen to the children if he showed Castillo and his animals pleasure. Maybe he was afraid that if he showed you pleasure that the other men didn’t, that they might take it out on the children or on you. Perhaps he wasn’t so much disgusted, as he was afraid of what might have happened if he had performed and angered Castillo.
“Or perhaps he was disgusted… with the situation. But certainly not with you.
“Here’s the thing. We all have pasts. Every one of us. Normally when we meet someone we’re interested in, we keep our pasts to ourselves. Our new man doesn’t know if there was one man before him or a thousand. We don’t share those details with him because they’re not important. Our new man isn’t attracted to us because of our past, he’s interested in the here and now. Who we are, not who we were.
“No one here… and I mean no one, will ever share any details about what happened to you in Eden. Right now it’s a fresh wound. But as time goes by, it’ll become farther and farther in your past, and easier and easier for you to put behind you.
“I don’t profess to know what you’ve been through. I don’t profess to know what pain you’re going through. But I do know this. You’re still alive. You’ve survived your ordeal. And you’re a beautiful and vibrant woman. You’re the type of woman who will attract a lot of men. And none of them will know of your ordeal, unless you see a need in sharing that information with them yourself.
“And you may feel that you should. But why? I mean, when Mark and I fell in love, I felt no need to tell him about my past lovers. He didn’t ask, either. I assumed there were other women before me, and he assumed there were other men before him. Who they were and how many didn’t matter to either of us.
“I’ll bet you a nickel that you and Steve felt the same way when you met. Your past was unimportant because it was irrelevant. It had absolutely nothing to do with you and Steve falling for each other to begin with.
“I know it’s hard for you to imagine now, but it’ll be that way again. I’m not trying to get you to start seeing other men. That’s obviously your decision to make. All I’m asking is that you don’t give up on love. There are several good single men here in the mine. I’ll bet some of them have been eyeing you already. You’re a beautiful woman, after all, and I’m sure they’ve noticed. I just hope you’re not so down on yourself that you don’t give them a chance. That would be an awful shame, for both of you.”
“But even if they have an interest in me, the word will get around about what happened in Eden. And then they’ll certainly lose interest. How could they not?”
“Oh, Glenna, that’s not true. No one who was involved in the Eden operation has shared any specific details about what happened to you. Mark didn’t tell me. Neither did Sarah or John or Marty. The only reason I know is because you shared it with me. And there’s no reason for the other men here to know unless you share it with them yourself.”
“You said Marty. The name doesn’t sound familiar. Is there a man named Marty here I haven’t met yet?”
“Oh, no. Marty is… Marty is a good friend who doesn’t live in the compound with us. He lives at a truck stop outside of Junction, to the northwest of us. Marty was the one who heard you were being held captive. He was the one who insisted on getting a group of men to go rescue you. In a sense, he’s your knight in shining armor. You didn’t meet him in Eden?”
“I don’t know. He may have been one of the men who were in or around the truck when I killed Castillo. To be honest, that whole day was a blur. I was half out of my mind when I stepped onto that truck, and probably even more so after it was over. I remember John, and Sarah, but only because they were so kind to me. Sarah held onto me for two hours and just wouldn’t let me go.
“But I’m afraid that everyone else I met that day is just too vague to remember.”
“I’ll introduce you to Marty the next time he comes to visit. You’ll like him. He’s an angel. And he looks like Tom Selleck.”
“Who?”
“Oh, never mind. He’s an old TV star. Quite handsome. Anyway, Marty looks like him, and he’s got a heart of gold.”
“Well, if he’s behind my rescue, then the least I can do is thank him. I’d like to meet him to do that.”
“No problem. He’s supposed to come this weekend so Mark can show him our fishing hole. I’ll be sure to introduce the two of you.”
Chapter 34
“How come you get to go? Maybe I want to.”
“Oh, shut up, Sami. You’re pregnant now. You’ve got no business going up in a helicopter. What happens if you go into labor?”
“Oh, you shut up yourself. I’m only eight weeks along. I can’t go into labor. And even if I did, what’s the worst that could happen? The helicopter would have to land, on an Army base, where there would be thousands of handsome soldiers tending to my every need.
“Hmmm… maybe I should fake it, just so I can check out all the guys and let them cater to me?”
“Oh, Sami, you’re such a slut. You’re supposed to be getting married to Brad.”
“Ain’t happened yet.”
“And you love Brad. Why do you need to go visit thousands of handsome soldiers and get pampered?”
“I can’t believe you actually asked me such a dumb question.”
“You’re right. It was a dumb question. Maybe I should just go with you so they can pamper both of us.”
“But you’re not pregnant.”
“They wouldn’t know that.”
“And you call me a slut?”
“Only in the most loving terms.”
“Oh, maybe you’re right. There’s no way any of those Army guys could make my heart flutter the way Brad does.”
“Exactly. So stay here with Brad. Your dad and I will go on the second tour next week, and I promise you that I’ll try to talk Colonel Montgomery into giving us a third tour. Karen said he
likes to show off his facilities, so I’ll bet he’ll consent. Then maybe you and Brad can go on the next one.”
“Ooh, that’ll be cool. That’ll be like a honeymoon for us, after we get married.”
“Yeah, how romantic. You can take a moonlight stroll through the stockyards. Be careful where you step.”
“Oh, you’re such a pain, you know that?”
“Yep. It’s my job. To remind you of reality every once in a while. Otherwise you’d live the rest of your life in your fairytale castle and the rest of us would have to live in the real world without you.”
John came into the room and sat down with them.
“What real world? You mean we’re all not a figment of your overactive imagination?”
“Hi, Dad. Hannah was just trying to explain to me why you and she get to go on the tour.”
“Well, honey. I get to go because I hope to get some intel to help us improve our security operation. As for Hannah going, I don’t have a clue.”
John turned to Hannah with a smile on his face.
“Hannah, tell me again why you’re going.”
“I’m going mainly because I want to ride in a helicopter. And because everybody loves me and wants me to go.”
Sami offered another theory.
“Or… everybody secretly hates you and wants you to leave for a few hours so we can throw a big ‘Hannah went away’ party.”
“Oh girlfriend, you are so evil. John, why did you raise such an evil child?”
“Hey, leave me out of this. This squabble is between you guys. I just saw you two sitting here and stopped in to say hello.”
“How are you feeling these days, John? Do you feel up to going on the tour this time?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Fine enough to go on the tour anyway, if that’s why you’re asking. After everything that Karen and Frank told me about their facilities, I can’t wait to see the operation for myself.”
Hannah gushed.
“I can’t wait to go, John. We’re gonna have such a great time. And it’ll be great getting away from here for a day.”
The radios on their sides cracked to life.
“Hey, everybody, this is Bryan at the control desk. Marty’s pulling off of Highway 83. Was he supposed to bring us a trailer of something?”
John answered, “He didn’t say anything about a trailer.”
“Somebody want to go out and greet him?”
John said, “I’ll go.”
He looked at Sami and asked, “Would you let me out the gate, Sugar?”
“Sure, Dad.”
Chapter 35
“Hello, Marty! Whatcha got back there?”
“Hi, John. I brought you gifts. I think you’ll like them.”
Marty pulled out the knobs for the tractor and trailer brakes, releasing loud shushes of air. Then he hopped down out of his rig and led the way to the back of the trailer.
Cracking the door on the trailer, he swung the right side door open to reveal four sparkling new Gator all-terrain utility machines.
“Wow,” John said. “I should have known. The trailer painted in John Deere green, with yellow trim, should have been a hint.”
“Lenny and I were going through a bunch of abandoned trailers in the east lot, trying to make some space back there. We found three of these, side by side. The manifests said they were headed to a John Deere dealer in Houston. They were probably traveling in convoy just before Saris 7 hit the earth and decided they’d rather be home with their families instead of delivering cargo that would likely never be used.
“But it turns out it will be used after all. Lenny and I kept two at the Trucker’s Paradise and gave two to the old farmer you gave the seeds to.
“He asked me to tell you that the seeds all came up fine, by the way. He brings tomatoes and ears of corn and squash to the truck stop every few days or so. He has us give them to travelers. And he always tells us the same thing, as though my memory’s as bad as my looks: ‘Be sure to tell them to save the seeds and plant them when they get to wherever they’re going.’”
John picked up the story for him.
“… and you brought some Gators for us too. Thank you, my friend. That’s right generous of you.”
“Hey, it’s easy being generous with somebody else’s property. I don’t reckon John Deere will miss them much. They’re probably out of business for good, just like everybody else. If anyone is still alive from the company, maybe they can take pride in knowing that at least somebody is making use of their very fine equipment.”
Marty climbed back into his cab.
John stood on the driver’s step, talking to his friend through the open window.
“And we’ll darn sure do that. Make use of it, that is. Are you here to do some fishing?”
“Yep. Mark promised to show me a fishing hole he found. Said there’s some good eatin’ catfish in there.”
“There are indeed. I’ve eaten more than my share. You’re making my mouth water, just thinking about them.”
“Well, come along then, John. The more the merrier.”
“No, that’s okay. I live here, so I can go anytime. Besides, I’m scheduled to relieve Hannah, so she can go with you guys. That’s gonna be an adventure, for sure.”
John chuckled.
“Why?”
“I love Hannah like she’s my own daughter. You know that. But the child is a bit scatterbrained and… how can I put this? The girliest girl you ever met. You or Mark will have to bait her hook for her, and pull the hook from the fish’s mouth for her. She’ll call everything ‘icky’ and ‘stinky.’ But she’s sweet as honey and fun to have along. And her antics will keep you in stitches.”
“Looking forward to it. Where can I park this trailer?”
“You can put it in the back lot, right next to the load of dog food you brought.”
“How are those dogs doing?”
“They’re great. The whole camp has fallen in love with them. Hannah says she thinks the female may be pregnant, but I don’t know how she can tell. I mean, last I heard there was no early pregnancy test for dogs. But she’s a scientist and a girl to boot, so she’s probably smarter on that kind of stuff than I’ll ever be. So I’ll just take her word for it.”
Marty said, “You’ve just made my day, John. Hannah promised me a pup from the first litter. It’ll be nice having somebody to talk to.”
“Don’t you have Lenny to talk to?”
“Yeah, well, Lenny is Lenny. He’s a good man and a good friend. But he ain’t a great conversationalist. For every twenty words out of my mouth, I’m lucky to get a grunt.”
“I think I heard Mark say they’re taking the dogs on the fishing trip.”
“Wow, John. You’re just full of all kinds of good news today.”
“Glad to be of service, my friend. Can I hitch a ride back into the compound?”
“Hop in.”
“Naw, I’m just fine here on the step, where I can feel the breeze in my hair and the bugs in my teeth.”
Marty laughed.
“Well, at four miles an hour I don’t know how many bugs you’ll collect, but suit yourself.”
John called in on the radio and said, “Okay, Sami, we’re headed to the gate.”
Hannah added, “No activity on the cameras, Sami. All clear to open the gates.”
“Ten-four.”
Bryan met John and Marty at the paved yard north of the building where several other trailers were parked.
“Hey, Marty, what’d you bring us this time?”
“John Deere Gators. Four of ‘em.”
The look on Bryan’s face was akin to that of a young boy on Christmas morning.
“All right! New toys to play with. Want to unload them now?”
“Nope. I’m just gonna dump the trailer and let you guys do the off-load at your leisure. I’m going fishing with your brother and sister in law.”
“Well, have fun. Bring back some good sized fish. I’m tired of the minnow
s and sardines that Mark usually calls ‘fish.’”
Marty chuckled.
“I’ll try my best.”
Chapter 36
Marty parked his rig without dropping the trailer and walked to the control center with John. He was carrying a small bag.
Hannah met him as he walked up and hugged him.
“Hi, Stinker Head. How are you?”
“I’m fine, evil child. I’m looking forward to going fishing.”
“Well, I hope you brought more fishing gear than that.”
“Nope. Your husband said he had all the rods and reels, and more tackle that we could use in a lifetime. He said he’d dig up some bait and all I’d need was myself and a set of earplugs.”
Hannah eyed him suspiciously.
“Ear plugs?”
“Hey, that’s between you and your husband. All I am is an innocent bystander.”
“How good are you at cleaning up blood and disposing of bodies?”
Mark walked up and joined the pair.
He asked, “Hey, what’s up?”
“Honey,” Hannah asked him, her voice dripping with honey, “Did you suggest Marty bring a pair of earplugs with him?”
“Uh… yes. Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Why? Because you think I talk too much?”
“Oh, no, baby. Not at all! I just thought that… maybe he might want to take a nap out there. You know, it’s so peaceful and all, and there’s all that soft grass to lie on next to the lake. I thought if he got tired from the hike, he might want to lie down and take a nap. And the earplugs would keep us from disturbing him while he rested. That’s all.”
Mark looked to Marty for help.
Marty just smiled and shrugged.
Hannah eyed her husband and said, “Uh, huh…”
“Really, honey.”
“You’re on probation, mister.”
“Probation? What the heck does that mean?”
“That means you’d better be on your best behavior today, or I’ll cut you up and use you as bait.”
The Army Comes Calling Page 14