by Lisa Lace
He didn't find anyone to help him. We couldn't. The two men grabbed him before he could get away.
Porter and I looked at each other in consternation. What were they doing this far out? My woman watched the confrontation with worry in her eyes. Porter ducked down under the table to hide, pretending he had dropped his fork.
The restrained man chose the only option he had left. He punched one of the Bureau men in the face and somehow spun out of their grasp. He made a break for the kitchen. I guess he hoped there would be an escape route for him.
The men from the Bureau had dropped their weapons in the scuffle. They grabbed their crossbows and went out the front door without saying anything. The rest of us spilled out after them, eager for a show. All of us except Porter. He remained hidden inside the building.
They split up, each going around one side of the building. In a moment, we all heard a scream. They came back dragging a body.
As they came closer to the crowd, I could see the man had an arrow in his back, straight through the heart. He was gasping, but it wouldn't be for long.
"I can't believe it," my fiancee whispered, her face appalled.
Well, that was the idea. Punish offenders completely so they wouldn't think of dissenting.
"This man possessed high technology items," they shouted. "When we tried to arrest him, he ran. He has received his punishment, and it was just."
I looked at the man. His eyes were glazed, and he had stopped breathing.
"Is he dead?" she whispered, her face white.
"He would have been executed eventually, even if they left him alive," I replied.
The other Bureau agent had been searching the body. Finally, he held up an offending device, threw it on the ground, and smashed it repeatedly with the sledgehammer until nothing remained but dust. We all watched in silence.
"Yordbrook will remain free from technology," one of the men spoke into the silence. "We will protect you from the evil. There will never be a return to the chaos that came after the bombs. We will protect you from all such things and the people who use and hide them."
In unison, we said, "Thank you."
The other man was struggling to hold the dead body from under its arms. They walked away, dragging it with them, heading for the wagons and carriages.
Now that the show was over, everyone turned away and resumed their activities. It would be something to talk about for days in a part of the planet where nothing exciting ever happened. I suspected the man was on the run, and they had finally caught up with him.
"Annalee?" I felt concerned. She appeared faint. "Are you all right?"
She shook her head. "Let's go back inside."
We found Porter upstairs in a room he had reserved for the next few days.
"I'll feel better if you talk," she said, looking back and forth between the two of us.
"We created the Bureau of Purity years after the catastrophe that marked the end of The Before Times," I said, telling the beginning of a story I had heard many times before.
"What catastrophe?"
Porter and I glanced at each other.
"We had a disaster. A war nearly destroyed everyone on Yordbrook. When our ancestors finished rebuilding afterward, they decided that if there wasn't any technology to create such destruction, everyone would be safe."
"Who were they?"
"That was the Bureau of Purity," I said, feeling nauseated. "They enforce the law, which usually means hunting down Renegades or members of the Underground and destroying their technology. They typically take Renegades back to the capital."
"Why did they kill him?" she asked, looking as if she might be sick to her stomach.
"Because he refused to go quietly."
"Would he have died anyway?"
I hesitated for a moment. "Yes. There's no need for a trial if they catch you possessing prohibited items. The only sentence is death," Porter said. I looked at her, rubbing my shoulder.
"But they were lenient with you," she said, frowning. I nodded. "Because you were underage. I'm beginning to think that being branded a Renegade and being shunned by your people was a blessing in disguise. What is this place doing to me?"
She looked around at the inn and the beautiful green fields beyond it. One of the suns had already descended under the horizon, and the other two were retreating as well. Except for the Bureau, Yordbrook was idyllic. I remembered the stories about The Before Times and how ugly the planet became.
In our time, no vehicles polluted the air with smoke or noise. No wires crisscrossed the sky. No buildings blocked out the suns. I had to admit that our ancestors had the right idea when they colonized the planet, but they hadn't gone about it the right way.
Annalee and I made our goodbyes quickly. We needed to get home.
Porter said he would see us at the wedding. I wondered why he was leaving so abruptly, but I could guess. Watching the Bureau of Purity at work always put me on edge as well.
"You're a dead man walking," she said thoughtfully.
"Pretty much. It was fortunate for me that I was underage at the time and they let me live. Most Renegades either reoffend or they join the Underground."
"What's that?"
"It's a rebel group that wants technology to be a regular part of life again for our people. They're not too creative with their naming, but they're excellent at hiding themselves. King Murtaugh, our current ruler, is efficient and brought the Bureau to their current level of effectiveness and cruelty."
"You still have a king?"
"We are a monarchy combined with a representative council. Each county has a voice, no matter how large or how small. The king and the council cooperate on most things."
"Does the Underground really risk their lives to try to bring technology back to your planet?"
"That's right."
"It sounds crazy. Those Bureau guys were brutal."
"People who volunteer for the Underground have to be a little messed up in the head," I said. "Let's go home now. Father is expecting us."
She nodded but froze when she spotted the blood in the dirt where the man had bled from his wound. I didn't know what she was thinking, but she looked terrified as she rubbed the back of her hand compulsively.
I was fortunate those drops of blood weren't mine. I was afraid too. The Bureau of Purity was no joke.
I definitely was crazy.
The question was, would the risks I took be worth it?
Chapter Five
JESSE
I led us up a corridor. My father lay dying at the end of it. As we entered, my heart clenched at the sight of him looking so frail.
"Jesse," he said weakly. "Who is this lovely young woman you have brought with you?"
Lovely? Was he joking?
I ignored the comment and got right to the point. He certainly didn't have time left for beating around the bush.
"Her name is Annalee, Father. We're getting married."
His demeanor changed immediately. "Married?" His face lit up with happiness. "When and how did this happen?"
"Don't worry about the details, please, Father. Isn't it enough to know we will marry today?"
Annalee glanced at me quickly. Porter had filled me in on the stipulations of TerraMates. The couple was supposed to marry within twenty-four hours of the woman's arrival on the planet. But since Yordbrook had transportation issues and there was no way we could be together in less than three weeks, they were giving us a special dispensation.
"That is wonderful, Jesse. Where are you going to have the ceremony?"
"At the church, Father. We will get you there and in the front row. Don't worry."
"Of course. I would never miss it. I am fortunate to be here for your marriage, my son. And my daughter," he said, beaming at Annalee. She smiled back. It was an authentic smile, unlike the ones she had been giving me.
What was this nonsense about her being lovely? I studied her silently while she made small talk with my father about her trip. The
y seemed to get along well together. When she laughed, and her eyes sparkled, I couldn't help but smile, too.
But when she looked back at me, her face became grave again, and her aura disappeared. Once again I noticed her imperfections and how untidy she was. My father's eyesight was failing, along with the rest of his body. Despite our disagreement about my future wife, I was relieved to know he was still alive to see my wedding day. He would be able to die peacefully now.
"Come with me," I said, and she looked up at me with trepidation. "Mrs. Boyko will help you bathe and dress for the wedding. You will have some time to rest. We will marry in the evening."
"I will have the lawyers draw up the paperwork today, Jesse. As soon as the marriage is final, I will transfer the farm to your name and all our troubles will be over."
"Indeed, Father," I said. He beamed at me.
All I had to do was marry Annalee and the hard times would be behind us. It was the perfect solution.
ANNALEE
I was getting married, but this was not how I had imagined it when I was a girl.
I rubbed the back of my hand for comfort. My phone should have been there, but I had concealed it elsewhere. I looked around at all the strangers in the pews. Even my husband was an unknown element. The only person I felt a sense of kinship with was Mr. Melnyk, Jesse's father.
He had been kindness personified since I had met him and I was grateful he was here. There was one kindly face in a sea of stony expressions. I wasn't sure what the problem was. Maybe I wasn't a model bride. Maybe they didn't like off-worlders. Maybe they didn't like outsiders, period.
I had a vague sense of something odd at customs, but the more I interacted with the natives I was starting to realize their society was repressive in many ways.
The service passed by in a blur. I hardly noticed what was happening. I was tired and overwhelmed. It all seemed like a dream until I felt Jesse putting a ring on my finger and promising to love, honor, and protect me.
It was surprising, but I suppose he couldn't say, "I promise to marry you for a year." Marriage was meant to be forever. Wait, what had the minister just said?
A quiet stillness filled the church.
"Did he just say I had to promise to love, honor and obey you?" I whispered frantically to Jesse.
"Of course," he whispered back. "You do realize this is a wedding, don't you? Just say it, people are watching us."
"I'm not going to promise to obey you."
He looked incredulous. "There's no other way to get married on this planet. If you don't promise, everything stops."
"Can't he change the wording slightly?" I felt like the people around us could hear every word I was saying.
"No," he hissed. "He can't. You are embarrassing me. And my father." He added the last bit as an afterthought, and I thought it might be to incentivize me. His father was the only person whose feelings I wanted to consider here. If I were embarrassing Mr. Melnyk, I would have to swallow my pride. He had been kind to me and didn't deserve further aggravation.
I looked at the minister, who was watching the whispers in the middle of his ceremony with bemusement.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that one more time?" I asked, and gave him a nervous smile.
"Do you, Miss Annalee Beauchene, promise to love, honor, and obey Mr. Jesse Melnyk?"
"I do," I shouted. Then I leaned in and whispered, "...as long as I agree with what he is ordering me to do."
His eyes bulged with indignation. I looked at him triumphantly. I thought I had evaded danger. I was not going to obey him like a slave.
How had I ever thought TerraMates was a good idea?
The rest of the wedding was a blur. We exchanged rings and signed some papers and suddenly it was over. I felt the urge to take a picture of ourselves, but I managed to suppress it. Mr. Melnyk offered his congratulations to us while everyone else in the church filed out.
I couldn't help overhearing people's conversations about me. Maybe they wanted me to hear. People thought I was crazy or a bad person or both for marrying Jesse. I wondered what Porter had meant when he asked me not to judge him based on what other people thought.
That wasn't a problem. I wasn't judging him based on what other people thought. I was judging him by what he did and our interactions over the past twelve hours.
He was a jerk. An asshole. An inconsiderate wretch.
It felt good to call him a wretch. I didn't know the exact definition of the word, and I couldn't easily look up the meaning, but it felt like an appropriate description here. How could he expect me to obey him? I seethed over the idea until my rational mind offered an explanation for his behavior.
He probably expected it because the ceremony included things all women were supposed to promise on this planet. We weren't on Earth anymore. Still, I wasn't from Yordbrook. I wasn't sure what or how much I was willing to change about myself.
For a moment, I felt trapped and terrified. What had I done to myself? I couldn't even leave this town without taking a three-week trip back to the station. If I managed to do that by myself, I would have to talk someone into beaming me back up. I had no idea how to do that because I had no money. I was stuck here for a year, no matter what.
My phone was now sewn securely into the hem of my dress, thanks to the needle and thread of a kindly innkeeper's wife. I hadn't had to leave all parts of my old life behind. And thank goodness I didn't have to sleep with him unless I wanted to. That was part of the TerraMates contract.
Then I had a terrible thought. Had Jesse signed it? After seeing the two of them together, I suspected Porter had organized my marriage himself. Jesse hadn't known I was his bride when he saw me, which meant he hadn't seen my profile picture.
If he didn't know about the restrictions on sex, I would have to tell him. But how would I do it? He seemed to love his father, and I could threaten to tell his father if he tried to force himself on me.
I thought back to my arrival and how he had looked before he opened his mouth and ruined my impression. I felt a stirring of arousal from the memory. But he was too much of a jerk for the feeling to last. It didn't matter if the man was a sex god (and he looked like he might be one between the sheets). If he was an asshole, it was a big turn-off.
It was a good thing I wasn't thinking about the broad chest, bulging tattooed biceps, and the six-pack from heaven I caught a glimpse of earlier. The laundress had stopped by and asked if there were any other dirty clothes. Without thinking, he took off his shirt and threw it in her basket. By the look on her face, she was used to it. Maybe she had asked him on purpose to get a glimpse of him.
I guess it must be all the hard labor on the farm, but Jesse Melnyk had one sexy body.
I still couldn't reconcile his appearance with the way he treated me. If I didn't feel like I cared about him and he cared about me, there was no way I was sleeping with him.
We needed to talk about this as soon as possible. I didn't want him to think he was going to get it on and be disappointed when I turned him down. He would be frustrated and angry if that happened. I didn't know if Jesse was dangerous, and I didn't want to find out.
We walked out of the church, and Jesse helped me up into the carriage. I assumed he was only providing assistance because there were people around. The servants would ensure Mr. Melnyk got home safely. I sat as far away from him as I could. For the first time, I felt afraid. He hadn't displayed any kindness or interest to me.
What if he tried to abuse me? As far as I knew, TerraMates investigated all their applicants, but was that even possible on a world like Yordbrook?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he said harshly.
I didn't answer because I didn't know what to say.
"Speak up. You've no need to fear me. I won't be a cruel husband."
Wouldn't he? I accidentally shook my head.
"You don't believe me? What kind of a person do you think I am? I've never harmed a girl or woman in my life, and I don't intend to start n
ow." He looked at me in consternation. "Why don't you speak? You were talking enough in the middle of the ceremony," he said, his face sour.
When there was a moment of silence, I grabbed it. "I would speak if you gave me more than three seconds to answer you," I murmured. "How am I to know your disposition? I don't know you. You've been rude to me since I arrived. I'm starting to feel a little nervous that I married you."
He cut me off.
"You think I've been rude? And angry?" He was looking upset now.
"Yes," I told him directly. I might as well be clear.
He mulled the thought over for a while. "Perhaps you're right," he said. "I apologize if I was."
"Thank you," I said, graciously.
We sat in awkward silence.
"I wish to be a good husband." He didn't look at me. "I may need assistance."
He had paused before the word assistance. I wondered if he had ever asked for help before. Jesse had given an inch. I supposed I could yield as well.
"I'll try. But I've never been a wife before. I might not know how to do it properly either."
He frowned. "Are you pure? I thought you had already lain with a man."
My eyes got wide. "Pure? Oh no. Why would you think that?"
"You said you didn't know how to do it properly. It was surprising because off-worlders are considered to be different. I mean, women from other planets are thought to be more experienced."
"More experienced in what?" I asked.
"Sexual things," he said.
"If you're asking if I'm a virgin, I'm not pure."
He didn't say anything and stared straight ahead.
I couldn't seem to stop myself from talking. "Not a lot, and only with one guy. It was a long time ago. It might feel like I'm pure." What was I saying? He was blushing again.
"Speaking of sex," I said, ignoring his discomfort. "TerraMates had a list of rules for the newlyweds. Did you happen to read it?"
"No," he shook his head. "Porter did it all."
"Did he forge your signature, too?" Jesse nodded. "Great," I said, huffing out my breath and crossing my arms over my chest. I stared off to the side of the carriage at the dark green foliage of the trees lining the road.