The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  He shook his head in disbelief. It was difficult for Mia to read any emotion from him. They stood awkwardly, Andrew avoiding her glance the entire time. After what felt like hours he spoke again.

  “Fine. You have to do what I say, when I say. I am in charge. I get it, it’s dangerous for me to take you back, but if I get caught helping you it’s just as dangerous. How much money do you have?”

  “None.” Mia gave him a strange look. “Why would we have money?”

  “To pay for things. Like food, shelter, clothes?”

  “Neither of us ever had any access to money. We have the car, though, and food. It should take us a few hours to get to Mexico, right?”

  Blood rushed to Andrew’s face, and he began pacing back and forth. It was easy for her to read his emotions now. Mia knew she’d lost any credibility she’d had with him.

  “A few hours? Car?” he gritted his teeth.

  “I was so happy we spotted you. I was scared someone else was going to pick you up.”

  “I wish anyone else would have picked me up. Even a homicidal maniac. Anyone!” Andrew stared her down with a crinkled brow. “We need to ditch the car. Now.”

  “But then how will we get to Mexico?”

  “No questions. You just do what I say when I say.”

  Andrew began walking toward the car, taking large strides to leave Mia behind. She ran with quick little steps, trying to keep up, but he was paying little attention to her. As he approached the vehicle he barked at Whitney to get out of the car. Tears were streaming down her face as she hurried out of her seat. Mia was sure she’d heard everything.

  “Get your stuff out of the car,” Andrew said with anger and authority.

  The girls pulled their belongings out as quickly as possible and moved to the side of the road. He jumped in, and the car puttered away. Mia assumed it was due to the lack of gas. He never bothered to check the trunk for more.

  “He’s leaving us?” Whitney asked with a quivering voice.

  “He’ll be back,” Mia said. “We just need to wait.”

  “You’re blackmailing him?” Whitney asked. “That’s not like you, you never think about this kind of stuff. I’ve never seen you plot or scheme in your whole life and this is an evil plan. This is stuff criminals do.”

  “I’m doing what I need to do to survive, for both of us to survive.”

  It was not in her nature to deceive, and Whitney looked disgusted with her, but Mia didn’t care. Her friend needed to lose her old concept of the world. It was time for a new one.

  Chapter 12

  Girls should take care not to grow inappropriately attached to anyone in their lives. The only relationship that matters is that between husband and wife. Once that bond is created there is no reason to miss any part of your previous life.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  The sky was turning lighter by the minute. Whitney kept quiet while Mia tried to keep an eye out for Andrew. As the blues in the sky became brighter, so did Mia’s realization. Andrew had stolen the car and deserted them. He’d been gone for too long at this point and even if he was traveling by foot it would be too hard to catch up to him. For the first time all day Mia felt like joining Whitney in sobbing. Just when she decided to give in to despair, she noticed a person jogging toward them on the horizon.

  “He’s back.” Mia shook Whitney to wake her up. “We need to start walking to meet him.”

  “He left us,” Whitney said, without bothering to look toward the figure. “Let’s just sleep here till they send out the search party.”

  Ignoring Whitney, Mia began her walk toward the figure. She knew it was Andrew. They hadn’t seen a single car or person since he’d left.

  Mia heard Whitney calling to her to slow down, but she couldn’t. With every step she took she felt herself flying away. Her grin grew so large it took up most of her face. But as she drew closer to Andrew, she saw he was not returning her smile.

  Mia felt hers fade as the two met. She had to catch her breath, but he wasn’t a bit tired. Finally he spoke. “We need to lay down some rules. I will help you get to the border. That is it. You don’t make a convincing boy. You need to keep your head down and never speak. Don’t ask any questions and don’t talk to me.”

  “Is that because you’re mad I’m forcing you to help us or because I’m a girl?” Mia surprised herself by speaking to Andrew this way, but she needed to toughen up.

  “You’re already breaking a rule.” Andrew kept his chin up.

  Just as Mia was going to protest more, Whitney came jogging behind, gasping for breath.

  “It’s great to see you. I didn’t think you were going to come back for us,” Whitney managed to say.

  “That black eye does help. You’ll be able to fit in a little better than ‘the Royal.’ ” Andrew looked toward Whitney while he spoke. “I’ll let your friend fill you in on the rules.”

  Mia was upset. She didn’t enjoy her new nickname.

  “So what’s the plan?” Whitney seemed to have renewed energy.

  “Right now, we walk,” Andrew said as he turned and started to walk along the road. “When the sun is too high, we will move into the fields and find a place to rest for the day, then at night we will walk some more.”

  “How come she gets to ask questions?” Mia was confused.

  “Manager’s daughter, you may ask me questions because you are not annoying and manipulative,” Andrew said. “But don’t abuse the privilege.”

  “It’s Whitney,” Mia said. She thought Andrew was showing off; he knew their names.

  Whitney nodded at Andrew’s instructions and the three began their walk. The gap between Andrew and the girls was always about ten feet. They could not keep up with his long strides. After some time Mia finally broke the silence.

  “Ask him why he ditched the car,” Mia said.

  Mia expected Whitney to protest and not waste her questions, but Whitney nodded her head.

  “Why did you get rid of the car?” Whitney had to yell to get him to hear.

  “Because.”

  “Why are you helping us?” Whitney asked.

  Mia was surprised to hear her inquiry. She was just as interested to hear the answer.

  “Because,” he answered again.

  Whitney gave Mia a smirk, a sign of approval; Mia smiled back and winked. It was nice that Whitney was starting to understand her plan of action.

  But both girls’ expressions darkened as they looked forward at the long road ahead. Mia realized how tired she was. At this point in time she didn’t care about his answer; she was just happy to have him as a guide.

  The sun was now visible in the sky and the cornfields surrounding the highway were bathed in gold and greens. Andrew pointed ahead and to the left, to a small patch of trees that stood in between rows of corn. He began walking through the stalks and the girls followed. They had to move fast in order to keep up. A snake slithered through the rows and Whitney screamed, but Andrew’s pace didn’t falter. Mia wanted to reach out and hold on to his shirt; the corn was taller than he was and if she lost him in here she would be alone forever. She was overjoyed when they reached the greenery.

  “Now we rest.” Andrew reached into his bag and pulled out some water, taking a little sip; he handed the bottle to the girls. “Try to conserve, don’t drink too much.”

  “How long are we stopping for?” Whitney wiped sweat from her forehead.

  “Till sundown. It’s too dangerous to travel during the day. You’ll get sick from the sun.”

  Dropping her bag, Mia sat in the shade. She wanted to protest the long break. She didn’t think they were far enough from home and had assumed they would “hitch a ride” from someone in a car like Andrew told her parents earlier. But before she could form the words of her argument, the rhythmic sounds of the birds chirping lulled her into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 13

  You are the protector and guardian of our free nation. Your passion and precision in def
eating the enemy will result in a free lifestyle, uncorrupted by the despair that plagues other nations. Through your service, you make your country great.

  —The Boy’s Guide to Service

  Dust and gravel filled the air as Grant turned down the long driveway toward the Morrissey house. He hated how dirty his rental car got every time he drove it here. He also hated driving such a lowbrow car. He owned so many superior vehicles. Cars were one of his many indulgences.

  Unfortunately, the rental company offered slim pickings in this pit, and Grant was stuck driving a cheap convertible. He couldn’t wait to get out of here and back to civilization. He smiled at the thought of never having to return. But as he neared the house, even he had to admit there was some rustic charm to the giant structure. He reminded himself he was taking home the most charming part of it.

  Grant liked the idea of having such a sheltered girl as a wife. He planned on keeping her that way. He had met too many young ladies who were far too educated for his tastes. This innocent was just what he was searching for.

  As he drew closer to the house, the road changed to pavement and the dust began to settle. Without the cloud of debris Grant noticed some cars in the driveway. They were black SUVs, government cars. He assumed this was why David had requested his company so early. Grant grinned and shook his head. He presumed the cars meant some of his friends had heard of the engagement and wanted to congratulate him or attend the party. He would be quick to oblige their requests.

  Throwing the car into park, Grant checked his hair in the mirror and straightened his collar. Now that his proposal had been accepted, he’d decided to dress normally—no more suits. His signature look was a polo shirt, plaid shorts, and sandals. This was not how one would expect a mogul to dress, but Grant didn’t care. He jumped out of the car and made it a step before David was at the front door.

  “Good morning, David. How is my bride-to-be?” Grant called out as he neared the house.

  “Please, come in and sit down. It’s Mia. She is missing,” David said in a low voice.

  It didn’t take long for Grant to realize the government cars were not driven by his friends. These cars belonged to RAG agents. Grant was much more interested in what they had found than in what David was saying. He thought back to his time in service. He had worked for Military Intelligence and was excellent at his job. He would have been a RAG agent if he hadn’t found his calling in arms dealing.

  “ . . . and I’m sure someone took her. Poor girl, she must be so scared; she is so lucky she has you to worry about her.”

  “Why don’t you stop insulting my intelligence,” Grant said. “We both know your daughter made a run for it. She didn’t want to marry me.”

  David froze, not knowing how to respond.

  “And we both know if it gets out that she ran away or I find out she ran away, I can back out of the deal. If you don’t present a bride, I don’t have to buy her. I could break off the engagement this second if I wanted to, and there is nothing you could do.”

  Grant stopped and took a sip of water. He enjoyed the confused look on the old man’s face. The fear that his expensive transaction might fall through was apparent.

  “So, please stop telling me someone took her, because it doesn’t matter to me one bit. I knew she was headstrong. I just didn’t think she was this brave. I admire her.”

  A smile and look of relief crossed David’s face.

  “Here is what we are going to do. Effective today, we are going to sign the paperwork. You get your money and I’ll get the legal rights to your daughter. This search becomes my search. I’ll find her and take her to her new home. You will have no rights anymore. You stop worrying about your daughter and let me worry about my wife,” Grant said. His voice was calm and collected.

  “What are you going to do if you find her?” David looked concerned.

  “This deal is not going to stay on the table for long. I wouldn’t waste your time worrying about situations we both know you don’t care about,” Grant said.

  He thought David a stupid man, motivated solely by money. Grant watched him pull out the paperwork and start signing documents. As Grant took the check out from his wallet, he thought about David’s question. He wasn’t sure what he would do to Mia when he found her. Her escape only made her more desirable to him. He was not a man people said no to.

  He smiled as David signed the marriage certificate, or, as Grant saw it, maybe the death warrant. Grant slid the check over and signed the license before folding it up and pocketing it.

  “Well now, I’m a married man!” Grant said. “Aren’t some congratulations in order?”

  “Congratulations!” David said.

  “Now, tell me everything about my wife’s disappearance.”

  Lifting the yellow tape, Grant felt a rush of excitement as he entered the roped-off area. Just the chance to hunt someone down was worth every penny. Grant enjoyed the chase more than anything else. He felt excited by the piles of lopped-off hair. The two RAG agents did not look pleased as he crossed into their crime scene. He decided to introduce himself before he was removed.

  “Hello, gentlemen. You might not know who I am but I assure you your boss does. One of you get on the phone and tell him you are looking for Mr. Grant Marsden’s wife. Also tell him I would like to speak to him personally.”

  “This is a closed-off area, sir.” One of the RAG agents started toward him. He was a slim, dark man about Grant’s age, maybe a year or two younger.

  “I hear so far there are two girls missing. They both cut off their hair and stole a car. I take it you put out an alert for the model? Any hits?” Grant asked.

  The slim agent reached Grant and placed his hand on Grant’s chest, attempting to push him back behind the tape. Grant reacted with lightning speed and twisted the young agent’s arm till he heard a pop. With his other hand he reached under the agent’s jacket, pulled out his firearm, and pointed it at the second agent. The first yelped in pain and Grant released him. The agent fell to the ground, choking back screams. Grant lowered his weapon and let out a laugh.

  “It’s been so long. I really missed this,” Grant said with true happiness. He signaled to the RAG agent still standing. “So any hits on the car?”

  “No.” The agent was uneasy. “We have checkpoints on the major highways all over the area with descriptions of the girls as well as the vehicle information.”

  “Good boy!” Grant said. He turned his attention toward the agent on the ground. “Now, I think it’s time you made that phone call. Tell your boss I want to see him.”

  Chapter 14

  The outside world is dangerous; not all men are capable of becoming husbands. Those who do not qualify are openly hostile toward females. It is important for a girl to remain in the safety provided by her male guardians, as they always have her best interests at heart.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  Mia didn’t know whether she was more tired of walking or of the lack of conversation. She had never thought her big escape would be so boring. The trio had been moving along a dark stretch of road in complete silence for several hours. Andrew still wouldn’t acknowledge her and Whitney was starting to get nervous.

  “Do you think they are looking for us?” Whitney asked. “Is it safe to walk so close to the road?”

  “It’s so dark out here we would see a car long before they would see us. It would be easy to jump and hide in the ditch,” Mia said, proud she knew that at least.

  “Where are we?” Whitney’s voice was starting to get a bit of a whine to it. “Where are we going?”

  “We are going south. That’s all that matters right now,” Mia said in a whisper.

  “This is ridiculous,” Whitney said. “He has no plan. He is probably trying to get us caught and sent back.”

  “Why don’t you ask him what the plan is and maybe he’ll tell you?” Mia said, but Whitney immediately shook her head no.

  A flock of birds flew across the night sky.
Mia wished she could move as quickly as they did. She remembered chasing the ducks around the farm, always laughing and never catching them. It had been an easy way to spend an afternoon. But then her mother noticed. She’d yelled at Mia and said running around and getting dirty wasn’t ladylike. That her energy should be spent staying clean and pretty. Back then, even though Mia would have rather chased birds, she wouldn’t have dreamed of behaving in an unladylike way. Mia gulped, understanding it was time to put all concerns about proper conduct out of her head. She took a deep breath and attempted to ask a question.

  “Andrew,” she said. “Where are we going?”

  “South. That’s all that matters right now,” Andrew said with a smirk.

  Whitney gave Mia a look, and Mia recognized it right away. Whitney was annoyed. Mia wasn’t any more amused with Andrew’s answer. Mia knew she needed to rethink the situation or risk losing Whitney’s support, and she couldn’t lose her only friend.

  “Enough!” Her voice echoed across the open fields. “I understand you don’t like me, but this is my life and I am taking some control. I want your help, but I need to know what the plan is. We can’t just walk all the way to Mexico. And please, treat me like a human. Treat me like I’m just one of the boys. I am not your wife to boss around.”

  After a moment of silence Andrew began to form his response. His voice took on a hard edge, but his face remained expressionless.

  “You want my help. You forced me into helping you and then you want me to be in a better mood. You have contributed nothing. You are deadweight and I plan on treating you as such. I was going to spend my final month seeing a little of the country, maybe spending some time studying, relaxing before the next chapter of my life begins. Instead, I am breaking who knows how many laws because of you. I am risking my future and my life because of you. And while it may not be worth thousands like yours, it’s still my life.”

  Mia felt guilty over the harsh words she had used.