by Nikki Lewen
From her limited range of vision, Sadie can just make out a figure that she assumes to be the Professor. A thick metal collar around his neck with an equally sturdy chain attached, keeps him detained. Both arms are tied behind his back and his legs are bound, but he’s standing. One eye is swollen shut and lash marks streak across his chest.
“No! You don’t treat us like this,” the Professor boldly states.
“Aaaahhhh…is da fessor ready fa mo…ahh?” the albino teasingly waves his crop at the Professor. Putting it aside, he approaches a nearby rack and slowly makes a selection from the many implements hanging there. After picking one of his favorites, he returns to the chained man. “An eer I tought…we was done, ‘specially…since da suns up nnn…I’m past due fa sum zeeees, but…fa you boys…I dink I’ms gonna make ahh…ception.”
Caleb, anxiously waiting for feedback, listens, unsure of what’s happening. When Sadie turns in his direction, she signals three friendlies and one hostile. He confirms, and while moving to a better position, sounds of pain fill the space, increasing the intensity of the moment. Sadie raises a single finger, and then pauses.
“Com’on prooo-fess-eerrr…were’s all dat wader you make goin’?” the albino asks, pausing between the blows he’s delivering.
The Professor, barely able to withstand the torture, shakes his head, refusing to divulge anything about the colony, knowing it’s a no-win situation. This scenario already played out once before, and even though he gave up info about the desalination process, it hadn’t mattered. They’re only being kept alive long enough for the crew’s sick and twisted pleasures before, eventually, being eaten limb by limb. His lack of response incurs a greater wrath and the torturous pace increases.
Sadie, moving to the edge of the partition, raises a second finger while getting her crossbow into position. As her count reaches three, she pushes aside the curtain and fires, completely missing the mark. Her arrow pierces the obese albino’s flabby underarm as her hand stings with a burning sensation from the snap of his whip that turned towards her as she appeared. It caught Sadie by surprise, but in mid-backlash, she rushes forward on the offensive. Engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a man much taller and at least twice her weight isn’t something she intended trying. Sadie ducks under his arm, removes her knife, and strikes.
The infliction isn’t deadly, but it weakens her opponent and provides seconds of distraction for another strike, which lands across his back. Sadie sidesteps a massive elbow blow that nearly catches her in the chin and spins towards his front, as Caleb jumps into action. Choking the man from behind with his own whip, Caleb has to use his entire body weight and strength to keep control of the thrashing man. Strangulation is a horrible way to die and the brutality of it, mixed with the awful visual, makes Sadie’s stomach lurch. Caleb and the man slowly slip to the floor as the last kick of life reverberates through the meaty flesh of man’s naked leg.
Out of breath, physically fatigued, and emotionally distraught, Caleb releases his death grip, letting the whip fall upon the floor. Standing, he stumbles with his first step before regaining balance. During the violent commotion, Sadie anticipated the possible arrival of anyone else aboard the vessel, but in the lengthening silence, she shifts focus and works to free the captives. Starting with the Professor, who’s in shock at the sudden attack and rescue, she reminds Caleb to stay diligent and keep watch. Fiddling with her pick set, Sadie finds the implements that fit best and attempts unlocking the collar from around his neck. The professor regains composure, and as Sadie finds success, he finds his voice.
“Did you get the other one?!” the Professor asks.
Removing the rest of his bindings, Sadie informs the professor about the giant black guy they first encountered when coming aboard. Talking fast, she describes him and quickly recounts the events leading to his demise while working on releasing the other man. She starts with the ball gag in his mouth and as soon as it’s out, he yells.
“No! There’s two of these fat fuckers!” The man, freed from the confines of the torturous contraption, keeps repeating the same profanities over and over while kicking the body of his dead tormentor. “Fat…fucking…disgusting twins!”
The professor grabs him, making it stop, as Sadie picks the locks, releasing the one-armed man. He’s pale and unconscious, but definitely still alive. With all three captives freed, Sadie wants specifics about the missing twin and whether they’re aware of anyone else on the ship.
“We only know of three. The man you killed, this one, and his twin, who left with…ahhhhh…after...after they…” the Professor can’t finish his sentence.
Instead, he nods to the man with the missing appendage and Sadie understands. She turns her attention to the one who lost control kicking the dead body. He’s recovered his clothes and is in the process of dressing.
“You a patroller, or one of the Professor’s workers?” Sadie asks, once he’s clothed.
He stares blankly, looks at the Professor, and then back to Sadie before tentatively answering. “Patroller.”
“Ok good…if were gonna make it outta here, were gonna need your help.” He nods slowly, and Sadie continues, “First off, no more outbreaks. We can’t risk being detected. You’ve made a commitment to the colony and so far we’ve managed keeping ’em safe. Our intentions are to keep it that way…understand?”
He nods in affirmation, and Sadie, hoping he’s dependable, adds more. “We need to confirm the twin’s the only one left and make sure no more Splitters are lurking about. You’ll keep watch here…Caleb and I will scout the rest of the boat…some of the rooms were locked and he’s gotta be in one of ’em. We end this now,” she says with a bone-chilling authority.
Sadie, the Professor, and the patroller talk further as they provide what little information they can. She gives them her knife and checks on Caleb, who’s been keeping watch. Seeing Sadie with the patroller, Caleb signals all-clear, and she updates him on the missing twin and what’s intended.
“I thought these guys were nocturnal? Couldn’t we just wait here…in ambush? This has to be where he’ll return to sleep,” Caleb says, clearly concerned.
Sadie agrees with his rationale and it reinforces keeping the patroller positioned here to protect the Professor and his unconscious worker. If the twin doesn’t return, or worse, heard the commotion, he could be waiting for an opportunity to attack or use the radio to call for help. Caleb nods in understanding, and the two of them recheck each area they passed on their initial inspection.
One by one, they re-verify which rooms are locked and examine the ones that are not. After clearing all the accessible spaces, Sadie carefully picks a lock and when it clicks open, they both gasp. The remodeled utility room houses an arsenal of weapons. Before relocking it and moving to the next, they remove several firearms and better supply their recently freed comrades. Returning to where they left off, Sadie has trouble unlocking a door, and it takes longer than expected. Each failed attempt is accompanied by a slight clicking noise that echoes across their rattled nerves. When the locking mechanism finally succumbs, Sadie’s hesitant.
Slowly manipulating the door to open reveals another round of upsetting images. The walls are completely covered with childish pictures, drawings, and coloring book pages. The furniture is miniature, and the shelves and surfaces are full of toys, games, and stuffed animals. Even though it’s decorated as a place of comfort and safety, it has an opposite effect, giving Sadie a whole new series of goose bumps and bad feelings. There’s another door to the side and unsure of what they’ll find, Sadie opens it. The space houses several bunk-style sleeping beds each containing various constraints, but there are no occupants.
“This boat…should be…burned,” Caleb says, exasperated by the sight.
Sadie nods—sickened to think of what occurs in these quarters—as they continue the search. There’s only one more locked stateroom, and both anticipate finding the missing Splitter there. As Sadie takes a knee to begin work on
the lock, it suddenly swings open, shocking both parties. From her vulnerable position, Sadie ducks sideways as the door slams shut. Caleb reacts with a violent kick, breaking it open, and with a raised weapon, he enters to see a flash of movement leaving through another door.
With racing hearts and adrenaline pumping, they follow in close pursuit. As they weave through the ship, Sadie and Caleb work as a unit while attempting to cut off the second twin. Afraid he’s trying to get to the weapons stash, they force him upward until they find themselves maneuvering through the pilothouse and then out onto the bridge. The brightness of the sunlight affects the sensitivity of the nocturnal one’s eyes, as he scrambles and takes cover behind stowed gear. Hearing the pump action of a shotgun from behind, Caleb and Sadie suddenly fear they’ve run into a trap. Turning, they’re even more surprised at seeing the Professor.
“I thought I’d help,” he says, in response to their looks.
Distracted momentarily by his presence, they fail to notice as the albino twin shifts positions to gain an advantage and suddenly pops up firing a handgun. Sadie instinctively reacts by pushing the Professor aside to safety. Caleb responds with his own barrage of bullets, hitting his mark and finally ending the stand-off. Feeling relieved and glad everything’s finally over, he turns around, but his relief shifts to terror. He watches as Sadie stumbles and violently smacks her head while falling overboard, leaving a bloody trail behind. Her body strikes the water and slowly sinks into the depths of the sea as her vision—fades—to black.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nikki Lewen was born and raised in the North, college-educated in the Midwest, earned her graduate degrees in the Deep South, then, after a short stint on the East Coast, she crisscrossed the county in a small RV, before finding a home near California’s Pacific Ocean. A compulsive surfer, nature lover, and avid fitness buff, she spends countless hours up to her elbows in dirt and stone, re-shaping the land alongside her cabin in the towering redwoods.
As an up-and-coming author, she has been collecting writer’s club memberships, finds fast food nauseating, and generally views privacy as a dwindling commodity in today’s world of instant connectivity and digital documentation.
THANK YOU!
I hoped you enjoyed Three Sisters, the first book of the Three Sisters Trilogy, and you’re eager to read more of Sadie’s fate while doing your part to heal the damage, that unfortunately, we’ve already done to our poor Mother Earth.
It would be vastly helpful and much appreciated, if you could review this book on Amazon. It will provide valued feedback, improve future books, and help other authors and readers like yourself decide if the Three Sisters Trilogy is right for them.
Please tweet about this book and post to Facebook as well.
A huge thanks!
Nikki Lewen
Here’s a preview of the second book in the Three Sisters Trilogy: Return to Three Sisters.
Slowly, using the blade almost teasingly, the Splitter warrior gently cuts away what little clothing remains on Sadie’s body in a careful pursuit of any last hidden items that may be concealed. Stepping back, the Commander kicks away the pile of discarded items and returns to straddling the chair, feeling even more intrigued. She was prepared to handle a man, but the discovery of a female changes the game. Sadie, who has yet to speak, calmly watches as her captor’s eyes follow the curves of her nakedness.
“Wow…you’re…really…really………fit,” she finally states—admiringly—adding to Sadie’s sensation of feeling like a piece of meat.
“You still look good, too,” Sadie remarks in her normal voice.
Her comment has the effect she hoped for, and the Commander, although trying to hide it, doesn’t avoid a shocked response.
“Sorry…might be that terrible haircut or…all ur bruises, but...”
Sadie, slowly shaking her head, interrupts. “No, Russo, we’ve never met.”
At the mention of her long-ago name, the Commander stands. She hasn’t been called that in years. The mysteriousness of this woman, along with the circumstances surrounding her, adds to the increasingly troublesome nagging in the fierce Splitter’s stomach.
“Your hair’s different…way sexier,” Sadie adds, keeping her opponent off balance. “And you’ve gotten more ink, but you look…” Sadie trails off, looking over the impressive female figure standing before her, “really…bad ass.” She smiles, watching as the Commander reels with uncertainty.
Russo takes a step closer and Sadie, appreciating the indication, continues with more flattery.
“You were incredible, a true champion…and, from the looks of you…still are.”
Putting together the picture Sadie paints, the Commander regains a little ground. “You used to watch me fight?”
“A few times,” Sadie casually replies, watching the former UFC fighter grow quiet in contemplation.
A long pause settles between the two ladies as Sadie anticipates the direction her adversary will take.
“You know ’bout me, but…what ’bout you?” The Commander asks, admiring Sadie’s smooth and pale skin. “You obviously aren’t exposed to the sun, so…you must live somewhere out here…in these outer islands.”
Russo’s accurate observation and the intrusive feeling it elicits serve as a reminder for Sadie of her opponent’s intellect and the strange dynamic developing between them.
Sadie nods in confirmation. “What else can you tell?” she adds, encouragingly.
The Commander leans in close. “There’s much to you, and this…is gonna take some time.” Without any indication, she abruptly gets up and shuts the door.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
About the Author
Thank You!