The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  Grant did not wait for a response. He skipped to the SUV and slid into the front seat. With some hesitation, the other agents got inside.

  “Alert the closest agents. Tell them to look out for three individuals. We need to head back to the Morrissey farmhouse. I think David has some explaining to do,” Grant ordered.

  Grant’s devilish eyes flashed as the car turned around and headed north. His thoughts raced with pleasure at the prospect of getting information out of the old man. He hoped he might be required to use force.

  Chapter 20

  Married life is luxurious. Wives are surrounded by love and affection and need only worry themselves with pleasing their husbands. If a wife commits herself to that goal, she will never have a care in the world.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  For the first time in days, Mia became aware of how bad she smelled. She was sure it was from the sweat and travel and not just the stink of the manure. She rolled the fertilizer body bag all the way to the back of the truck, picked up her and Whitney’s bags, and jumped down, slamming the back door.

  She did her best to clean up the scene of the crime, but the trickles of blood were still visible on the gravel of the parking lot. It would have been easier if she had some help. She gave Whitney a dirty look but was faced with her back. There was nothing to do about it now; there was no point in dwelling on it. She walked toward Whitney, who was sitting on a log, looking out over the landscape. Mia dropped the bags and had a seat.

  “I didn’t sign up for this, people dying.” Whitney’s voice quivered.

  “Better him than us. He wasn’t a good person.” Mia was unsure how to comfort her. “We knew we’d run into problems.”

  “Did you know Andrew could do that? I never thought he was scary,” Whitney said.

  Mia bit her lip. She didn’t want to worry about a split in her team. Whitney was not familiar with violence. She regretted not telling Whitney about Corinna’s article when she had the chance; maybe then she would have understood the situation better. She decided if she told her now, the story would seem forced and Whitney might not believe her.

  Mia looked down and noticed the blood all over her shirt and hands, which was also mixed with bits of fertilizer. She assumed she made a convincing boy now.

  “Did you bring a change of clothes?” Mia asked as she stood. “We need to change. You’re almost as gross as I am.”

  Whitney didn’t stir; instead she just stared off. Mia did not feel like dealing with this right now. She rose and started walking toward the parking lot.

  “Put it out of your mind. He’s dead,” she said to Whitney.

  Whitney gave Mia a scowl, but she did stand up. As the girls made their way toward the building, a shock of lightning lit up the sky and the rain came pouring down. It fell with such force that Mia thought it would take off her skin, as well as the grime. Neither of them attempted to get out of the storm, using the weather to bathe instead. Mia scrubbed her arm and watched the mud and blood slide to the ground.

  Even Whitney seemed to relax a little with the shower. After both girls felt cleaner, they moved back under the trees.

  “Now what?” Whitney asked.

  “Now we wait for Andrew.”

  “Is he still in there?” asked Whitney.

  “I think so. I didn’t see him come out.”

  “Shouldn’t we get out of here?”

  “Not without him.”

  “I think we need to leave; he is dangerous. This is a bad idea; we’ll be better off on our own. Let’s go,” Whitney said urgently.

  “Not without him.” Mia wasn’t about to change her stance.

  “Did you see what I just saw? How he killed that man? What’s to stop him from hurting us?” Whitney choked back tears.

  “He was protecting us. He is the best shot we have at Mexico and I am not going to abandon him.” Mia’s voice was stern.

  “He was not protecting us. He killed that guy because he wanted to; it was just our luck we benefited from it, too.”

  “He was going to hurt you. Andrew saved you; aren’t you grateful?”

  Whitney stared at the ground before she spoke. “This is too much for me to handle. I’m glad I’m okay, but I’ve never seen someone in such a rage before. He is dangerous. And that rage wasn’t because I was about to be violated, it was because that man hurt Andrew.”

  “Well, it wasn’t directed at us, and I’m not leaving him.”

  “Fine.” Whitney threw her arms up, still not seeing Mia’s side.

  Mia didn’t think Andrew would hurt either of them, but she did realize he was capable of doing so. Corinna popped back up in her mind. She wished Andrew would have beaten William the same way he had taken care of the trucker; then maybe her sister would be alive and traveling with them. Whitney didn’t understand those feelings yet.

  “If you won’t leave him, at least go and get him.” Whitney nudged Mia.

  “No. We’ll wait awhile. I think he might need some space.”

  Mia saw the fear and concern on Whitney’s face. She realized why she couldn’t comfort her friend. Mia was not afraid or concerned. Scott’s death was incidental to her plans. She shuddered when the cold thought crossed her mind. Her desire to escape was costing her her humanity.

  Chapter 21

  Your time in service will prove your worth as a human being. The harder you fight, the more worthy you are of calling yourself a citizen of this wondrous nation and reaping her rewards.

  —The Boy’s Guide to Service

  Andrew splashed the cold water over his face. He opened his eyes and saw that the sink was turning pink with Scott’s blood. He gripped the edge of the basin so tightly he thought he might crack the porcelain off. The anger was building up again. Andrew felt it rushing to the surface. How could he have been so stupid?

  Mia and Whitney were having an effect on him. Seeing their friendship was clouding his judgment; it was making him too trusting. He never should have fallen asleep. It was his fault the girls were almost attacked. He put his hand to the back of his head; they weren’t the only ones who were facing threats. He felt a big bump under his mess of hair, but it didn’t seem like the skin was broken. The only blood on his body was from the trucker.

  His thoughts turned back to Scott and how Andrew had let the hatred spew out of his body as he beat the man over and over again with the branch. The sickening crack of Scott’s skull replayed in Andrew’s ear till he couldn’t take it. Andrew ran to the toilet and his stomach heaved. When its contents left his body he let himself slide to the floor. His mind started to clear.

  His only goal was to keep Mia and Whitney safe, and he was failing. Not only were they close to danger, but it was because of Andrew. He was getting too close to them. He needed to push all personal concerns away. Keeping his distance was what would keep them all safe. Mia and Whitney trusted each other, and he had wanted to experience trust too, mistakenly putting it in Scott. He needed to do a better job protecting the girls, and that could be accomplished by their staying strangers.

  He didn’t understand why this was so hard for him. He’d never had difficulty avoiding relationships or friendships. It was how he’d survived this long. He wanted to know more about them and to tell them about him, but it didn’t make any sense. He needed to focus. Just get them to safety and then report for duty.

  Andrew was surprised by the way Mia had tried to help Whitney. He would have expected her to cower in the corner, but instead she had chased after her friend. She hadn’t even looked fazed when she needed to tell Andrew to stop the beating. He liked her strength. Whitney, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be faring as well. Andrew feared her opinion of him had altered. He tried not to care.

  The sink dripped, sending echoes of the tiny splashes around the whole room. Andrew closed his eyes and thought back to the school he was raised in. The building had been dilapidated and water always made its way through the ceiling whenever it rained. Sometimes it landed on
his mattress, and the other boys teased him that he had wet the bed. He always let their taunts roll off his back. He had known even as a kid not to care what others thought or said about him. He reminded himself that nothing had changed.

  Chapter 22

  It is customary for a husband to lavish his wife with gifts. The better the wife is, the more her beloved will adorn her. But it is important to remember the best gift a husband gives is that of his undying devotion.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  The rain turned to drizzle and the girls’ lips started turning blue. To combat the cold, they each tried to twist the water out of their clothes. Both agreed it was stupid to change into a fresh set, as it would just get wet again. Mia had not been able to get the blood out of her baggy top. The effects were less gruesome but still obvious. Between her clothes and Whitney’s black eye, it looked like the two had been fighting.

  Both girls were on edge when Andrew reappeared. They whipped their heads toward him when he walked out of the small building. His hair was wet and slicked back. He looked as if he had showered and had a new set of clothes on, plain dark blue jeans that were a bit too big and a black T-shirt. He walked over to them as if nothing had happened.

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “No,” Mia answered. “We kept watch; nobody even came close to this place.”

  “Did you move him?”

  Mia nodded her head.

  “You didn’t have to kill him,” Whitney said.

  “You’re both going to get sick if you don’t change.” Andrew ignored Whitney’s comment as he walked toward the cab of the truck.

  “He did what he had to do. To protect you,” Mia said to Whitney. “You can’t think that the trucker’s life was more valuable than yours?”

  Whitney nodded, but the look of concern stayed on her face. Mia felt for her friend. Whitney had been attacked, but she had lived. She needed to move on and forget the incident. Mia lightly squeezed her friend’s shoulder and walked toward Andrew, who was now in the front seat.

  “Are we taking the ride?” Mia hoped she didn’t need to drag the body out. She was kicking herself for not throwing it in the field.

  “No.” Andrew was flipping through the glove box and searching the rest of the cab. He pulled out a couple pieces of clothing and a small felt blanket from the sleeper section.

  “What are you doing, then?” Mia asked.

  “Trying to see what we can use.” Andrew stood on the seat and looked in the overhead storage space. “Do you have room in your bags?”

  Mia nodded; she had space and assumed Whitney did, too.

  “At least change your shirts.” Andrew tossed two shirts toward the girls. Mia thought these tops smelled worse than the bloodied fertilizer one she had on now. But they both put them on. Mia noticed Whitney had wrapped her chest down, making her figure less noticeable. Again she marveled at the resourcefulness of her friend. Lucky enough for Mia, she was not as well-endowed and didn’t have much cause for worry in that respect.

  She looked at the gross blue shirt she’d pulled on. It had a picture of an eagle on it. Whitney now wore a black one that read SIT ON IT in red lettering. Mia found the saying weird and wondered what it meant.

  Andrew jumped out of the cab, handed Mia a blanket to stuff in her bag, and threw a pair of shoes at Whitney.

  “Stuff socks in there until they fit,” Andrew said. “Where is he?”

  “We took care of it,” Mia said.

  “The blanket and clothes are nice, but I was hoping to find his money. It might be in his pockets, so I need to see the body.”

  Mia reached into her bag and pulled out the man’s wallet. She tossed it to Andrew, who removed the cash and threw the rest on the front seat. He counted the money without acknowledging Mia’s forethought. She was annoyed he hadn’t noticed.

  “What happened to you?” Whitney asked. “You’re a thief now? Great, I’m with a killer and a thief!”

  It was clear Whitney was on the verge of a panic attack. Mia knew she had to bring her friend back to reality, but she was running short on patience.

  “Again, he was a bad person. Or would you have rather been assaulted? We are one step closer to finding your gorgeous husband who will love you and treat you right—or would you rather be the one in the body bag?” Mia stepped closer to Whitney and grabbed her arm. Mia could feel the intensity flowing out of herself. “We do what we have to.”

  “And right now, we have to leave.” Andrew picked up his sack and started walking. Mia followed as Whitney gave in, slid her feet into the new shoes, and caught up.

  He walked back toward the small building, right up to a glass case. Bracing his elbow, he smashed the case open and pulled a map off the wall. He glanced at it before folding it up and sliding it into his bag. The group walked, all spaced ten feet apart, down the ramp back toward the highway. Mia was shocked how close to the road they were. The terrain looked the same as it had near her home. She wondered where they were and what they were going to do next, but she was still confident in Andrew’s ability to lead.

  Chapter 23

  To a certain extent, men are expected to govern themselves. This includes dispensing punishment to those who have wronged one. A victim always has the option of sentencing the perpetrator of the crime to private punishment.

  —The Boy’s Guide to Service

  Patience was Grant’s key to winning. He believed everything he had accomplished was due to his ability to wait. But even he had a breaking point. Whenever he felt his tolerance being tested, he was likely to snap. David was the newest victim.

  “You keep repeating yourself. You keep saying that there was nobody who could have helped her escape. Yet I know this isn’t true. So, either you are trying to protect someone or you are stupid. Which is it?”

  Grant sat with his legs crossed as he questioned his father-in-law. He wiggled his foot back and forth to lessen the tension in the room.

  David sat behind his mahogany desk. It was clear he had not been expecting Grant’s visit, as piles of money were laid out in front of him. Grant wondered if it was from Mia’s fee but doubted David would keep that much cash from a check. Plus, David would still have to give the government their 25 percent cut. He figured it was the farm’s earnings.

  “Why are you speaking to me with such disrespect?” David asked. He sounded angry. “I know you are frustrated with the situation, but, as you pointed out, she is no longer my problem. I have told you everything I know. In fact, I’ve told you twice now.”

  “I apologize. I mean you no disrespect, sir.” Grant placed a strong emphasis on his words. “But I am not getting through to you. We must find some way to make you understand.”

  “I understand,” David said.

  David continued to babble on but Grant was no longer listening. He pulled out his nine-millimeter and held it on his knee. This shut David up.

  “Did you know people are less likely to fight back when someone pulls a knife on them instead of a gun? I always found this strange, because a gun can do so much more damage so much more quickly.”

  David gulped as Grant rose and walked to the other side of the desk. He placed the gun against the back of David’s head.

  “Now, let’s start again,” he said as he cocked the weapon.

  “Nobody helped her. I swear. I don’t know anything,” David said. His voice was shaking.

  Grant was getting frustrated with the situation. He moved his lips from a frown to a smile as he thought of what to do next.

  “I could end your life right now, but I’m not going to. You know why? Because it would not benefit me. I would gain nothing by your death. However, I need to find something that will motivate you to talk to me.”

  Grant lowered the gun so it was right next to David’s ear and fired down, straight into a small pile of money. Bits of green paper flew everywhere. David covered his ear and howled in pain. Grant wasn’t sure if he had nicked David’s leg or not, but he didn’
t care. He fired two more quick shots into the piles.

  “All you seem to care about is money. You sold your daughter, your own flesh and blood, without even utilizing the mandatory waiting period to check me out. You knew me less than a week before agreeing. I bet right now you still don’t even care about her.” Grant grinned as he walked back to the front of the desk. “Now, I’m going to give you about ten seconds to tell me who could have helped her before I fire again. Think hard.”

  Fear coursed through David. As Grant counted down from ten, he raised his voice and pointed his gun toward the desk. If David hadn’t been shot yet, he was sure to take a bullet this time.

  “One!” Grant cocked the gun.

  “A boy! One of my workers, he left earlier in the night, around five o’clock!” David screamed. “I don’t think he had anything to do with it. He was dependable and he had no contact with her. It couldn’t be him.”

  A cold smile crept across Grant’s face as he lowered his gun. He didn’t put it away yet. He wanted to make sure David didn’t feel safe. Grant didn’t want his well of information to dry up yet.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, tell me everything about this boy.” Grant sat back down and crossed his legs again.

  Chapter 24

  The joy a bride feels is indescribable. She will earn the admiration of her family and the undying love of her husband. Her life has come full circle and she is capable of enjoying all the pleasures the world has to offer.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  Mia wished she had a better understanding of travel and distance. It felt like they had been walking for miles, but she had no clue how far along they were. The trio was still spaced apart as they trudged through the corn rows. Andrew didn’t walk on the road, and both girls followed his lead. Mia wasn’t sure what the point of this move was, because she thought the shaking stalks drew more attention than just some random boys on the road would.